Sailor Honeymoon’s playfully defiant debut album couldn’t come at a better time; a time when the world needs it the most as we face governing forces trying to shut down our self-expression and joy. On The Worst of Sailor Honeymoon the indie-punk rockers invite you to join them in unapologetically saying exactly what they want to say, expressing themselves and finding humor throughout life’s daily grievances. While the experiences highlighted in the songs are situated in Korean spaces, Sailor Honeymoon illuminates the universality of their daily struggles.
Less than a week after the album’s release, news came out that the legendary Busan music space Ovantgarde is being temporarily suspended for two months because people were reported for dancing to music in a space that wasn’t supposedly classified for such use (legally).
Sadly, this is not uncommon in Korea for music spaces. Ovantgarde is one of the crucial spaces that artists like Sailor Honeymoon came up in, the bedrock of a community of DIY artists and music lovers. A lifeline and cultural hub. Numerous Korean artists, including Sailor Honeymoon, have expressed their support of Ovantgarde this week.
We all hope it can live on as a space for artists to express themselves and where the community can continue to dance and sing their hearts out. This self-expression and support of spaces that allow for this is exactly what Sailor Honeymoon is nurturing in their community.
The Seoul-based all-women three-piece includes drummer/vocalist Abi Raymaker, guitarist/vocalist Zaeeun Shin, and bassist Yelim Kim. “We don’t need to be perfect… We just want to make something meaningful. A lot of cultural things exported from Korea to an international audience are held to an incredibly high standard. They look perfect, sound perfect and feel very carefully controlled. We wanted to make something that felt human,” shared Raymaker in the album’s press release.
On The Worst of Sailor Honeymoon the band creates what they call an “alternate world.” Their alternate world isn’t escapist. It feels sharply real and raw. By fully expressing themselves, Sailor Honeymoon is unintentionally leading a rebellion against what’s considered standard norms in Korea.
The Worst of Sailor Honeymoon was released on Good Good 굿굿, the Seoul-London label co-founded by Raymaker, producer Luke Smith, and manager Russ Crank. The album was produced by Smith, mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer, mastered by Katie Tavini and engineered by Adele Phillips, Amaury Pluvinage, and Debong Lee. All thirteen tracks maintain and expand upon Sailor Honeymoon’s infectious energy, experimental artistry and clever humor.
“Bad Apple” kicks-off the album, setting the tone of high-energy and honesty for the next 27 minutes. “If I can’t say what I want / Why am I sitting in a restaurant with you?” asks Raymaker as she realizes she’s done with a friendship because her friend is actually judgmental, prejudiced and problematic. The song plays off of the saying “one bad apple spoils the bunch,” spinning it around to “don’t let one spoil the bunch” in regards to a friendship that has gone bad.
Up next is “Armchair,” a simultaneous eye-roller and indignant anthem pointed at people in positions of power making calls about people they don’t care about or understand. Since the announcement of Ovantgarde, “Armchair” strikes an even deeper chord as its insurgent message is further accentuated.
On “I Wanna Leave You” it’s hard to not throw your hands up in support as the band lists fourteen deplorable characteristics of a partner they want to dump. Raymaker’s drums unfold with urgency underscored by Shin’s gritty guitar riffs and Kim’s heavy bass.
The fourth track “Pickle” takes the phrase “in a pickle,” as well as the motif of pickles themselves, to navigate a bit of a conundrum. As the vocal delivery, drums and bass play things cool, the guitar whirrs as a reminder of the ensuing chaos.
Chaos surely continues as Sailor Honeymoon attempts to convince themselves that they’re having fun on “Having Fun” while they’re very clearly not having fun. As the song continually speeds up with Raymaker setting the pace on drums, Kim’s bass acts as a melodic anchor while contrasting Shin’s wailing guitar which descends into a spiraling madness.
“Don’t Do That” has a signature addictive Sailor Honeymoon chorus, thumping bass, driving drums and squealing guitar. The song shares the story of taking one of their friends, “a salesman,” out to lunch. During the lunch they try to convince their friend to use his power for good instead of for profit in exchange for world destruction.
The song has a sense of urgency but not the type tied to capitalistic urgency culture. Instead it’s an urgency to speak your mind because that’s the only way we can begin turning the tides. It’s a call for community.
Marking the midpoint of the record, “Money” is a brief and hilarious track about none other than money. Shin begins the song with a guitar riff before her raucous and reverberating guitar takes center stage as it mimics the engulfing and unpredictable nature of finances. The chorus asks, “Am I worth money? / I make sense, do I make fiscal sense and money?” as the word “money” echoes around in the background.
“My Band” is a cheeky track that honors the band’s DIY ethos and community. The song opens with “I don’t need that / I’ve got my band.” The lyrics continue to contrast the lifestyle society is trying to enforce with the lifestyle that Sailor Honeymoon chooses to lead: “That 20,000 wedding dress will definitely be passed down through generations / I have 14 leftover band tshirts.” Kim’s bass amusingly backs up Raymaker’s witty vocal remarks.
Part way through a re-written version of “Catch A Falling Star” by Perry Como cuts in as the band sings “Catch a stable job and put it in your pocket never let it fade it away / catch dental insurance put it in your pocket save it for a rainy day.” The song ends with shoutouts to beloved local indie venues throughout Korea including Senggi Studio, Strange Fruit, Channel 1969, ACS, Seendosi, and Ovantgarde.
On “Red” it is clear that Sailor Honeymoon is not okay as Raymaker sings, “It’s okay, I’m on fire.” Lyrically the song uses the experience of being told to eat the bitter Korean medicinal candy (홍삼) as a metaphor for being forced into something that they don’t want at all. The track’s cyclical rhythm is an absolute earworm, reinforced by punchy drums, funky bassline and driving guitar. It’s also a prime example of how Sailor Honeymoon makes music so infectious that it makes you want to join a band for yourself.
From the moment it begins, “Click Click” never steps off the gas. The song details the agonizing experience of trying to connect with someone who is glued to their phone. Shin’s warped and whirring guitar, Kim’s pulsing bass and Raymaker’s explosive drums team up to convey this relatable frustration.
“Paperwork” comes crashing into the listener’s ears with familiar feelings of overwhelm and dread related to work but backed by a stuttering, glitchy beat that makes you want to dance. The lyrics mock the demands and egos of workplaces while listing all the mundane steps one must take while sitting at a boring day job. Somehow, in their signature fashion, Sailor Honeymoon found a way to make the tedious details of work enjoyable.
The second to last track “Don’t Wanna” is full of dread and exhaustion in regards to socializing. The chorus goes, “I don’t really care what you think you do / I don’t wanna talk to you / I don’t really think I’m gonna like you / And I’m too tired to pretend to.” Sailor Honeymoon is very over it and they no longer want to act their way through unwanted socialization.
The final song is “Extinction,” a commentary on Korea’s modern day societal pressures as a pitched and sped up voice reads the dictionary definition of ‘extinction.’ Another voice in the background reports on the extinction of leisure, affordable housing, democracy and indie bands.
Here the guitar, bass and drums speed up the pace of the song, signaling the cycle of extinction is already well on its way. Suddenly the song stops before the final sentence is finished.
The Worst of Sailor Honeymoon is a fantastic debut album that will live on for the ages. It’s clear that Sailor Honeymoon finds even more confidence and comfort in their signature sound, expanding on the sound they already carved out with their first EP. Without a doubt the album acts as both a wake up call and an important reminder to express ourselves without shame. To Sailor Honeymoon, there’s nothing ever wrong with joining in on the dancing.
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