The EP opens with ‘Georgia’, a song co-written with the album’s producer Reed Gaines that crafts a a tale of heartbreak from dreamy nostalgia. Sashaying through old memories and painful longing, the song is loss in its warmest, most translucent form, Lazar’s vocals a spoken croon that conveys a true sense of intimacy.

Stirring to life in the same hushed tone, ‘Parking Lots’ develops into something altogether more urgent, the slow-burning mood eventually catching as Lazar’s vocals stretch into a yell. ‘Chicago’ sees the energy increase further, knitting into an insistent rhythm that barrels forward with a sense of hope, making for a marked change from the backward-looking position of the previous tracks. Still, that’s not to say the track is without a certain sadness. “‘Chicago’ is a sad girl’s attempt at an optimistic love song,” Lazar explains, hinting at the shade of anguish that lurks beneath the wishful romanticism.

Could you let me just
See you, reach you
One more time and then I’ll know how to
Leave you, keep you
Off my mind on the plane home
I’ll let myself fall apart
For one more ride in your car
Wherever you want to- I do

The dreamy textures return on ‘Only One’, though the hazy atmosphere hides a set of teeth, before the leisurely soul of ‘Fill’ arrives, the track denaturing across its short length as guitar skitters across its face. All that’s left then is the title track to close, a piano-led ballad that strips away everything but the simplest emotion and Lazar’s vocals. The track’s lo-fi nature masks the richness at its heart, serving as a fitting conclusion to what is an impassioned and intimate release.

Honey is out now and available from the Caroline Lazar Bandcamp page.

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