LET'S JUST SAY THE WORLD ENDED A WEEK FROM NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

The third studio album from English duo Honne, 2021's Let's Just Say the World Ended a Week from Now, What Would You Do? is a chilled-out production that finds them balancing a relaxed soulfulness with bright pop hooks. It's a style they'd already perfected by 2018's Love Me/Love Me Not (and 2020 mixtape No Song Without You) and one that straddles the line between contemporary R&B and infectious indie electronica. Cuts like the '70s disco-soul-inspired "What Would You Do?" (featuring Pink Sweat$) and the hypnotic slow jam "Three Strikes" (featuring Khalid) are as nuanced as they are catchy, embedding themselves further into your ears on each listen. There's a soft, pastel-colored production palette to the album that's consistent throughout and often feels intentional. These are smooth, lightly funky and romantic pop anthems. Singer Andy Clutterbuck's understated croon is a welcome presence and he's nicely offset by the handful of guest vocalists. There is a warm charm and deft simplicity to Honne's work on Let's Just Say that remains engaging. ~ Matt Collar