We’re entering a bold new era where it’s totally normal for bands to release multiple albums in the space of a year. That’s fun! It hearkens back to earlier pop-history eras, when everyone had to constantly have new music out on the market all the time and when the push to keep cranking out tunes forced a lot of artists to come up with dizzily creative new ideas. The latest in the club is PACKS, the Toronto band that started out as a solo project for mastermind Madeline Link. PACKS released their sophomore LP Crispy Crunchy Nothing in March, and Link just appeared on the Empty Nesters song “The Simphony” a few days ago. Now, there’s a whole new PACKS album on the horizon.

PACKS recorded their new LP Melt The Honey over the course of 11 days in Mexico earlier this year, right around the same time that they released Crispy Crunchy Nothing. It’s set to come out at the top of 2024. First single “Honey,” the album’s sort-of title track, is a warm and hazy piece of indie rock with some seriously slapdash ’90s style. Here’s what Madeleine Link says about it:

I wrote this song while I was living in a tiny beach town in Chile, nestled between two hills. They don’t have maple syrup down there, so we’d have honey instead. To keep the honey from burning, you have to melt it a special way! As this developed into a habit, I think I was struck by how cute it was.

PACKS have tours coming up with Geese and Slow Pulp. Below, check out the “Honey” video, the Melt The Honey tracklist, and their tour dates.

TRACKLIST:
01 “89 Days”
02 “Honey”
03 “Pearly Whites”
04 “HFCS”
05 “AmyW”
06 “Take Care”
07 “Her Garden”
08 “Paige Machine”
09 “Missy”
10 “Trippin”
11 “Time Loop”

TOUR DATES:
9/30 – Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool
10/01 – Washington, DC @ Pie Shop
10/04 – Troy, NY @ No Fun *
10/06 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair *
10/07 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz *
10/08 – Toronto, ON @ Velvet *
10/10 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Bottlerocket *
10/11 – Detroit, MI @ Third Man *
10/12 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
10/13 – Milwaukee, WI @ Colectivo *
10/14 – Minneapolis @ 7th Street Entry *
10/16 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge *
10/17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *
10/19 – San Diego, CA @ Whistle Stop
10/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Ghengis Khan
10/22 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
10/24 – Portland, OR @ Mission Theatre
10/25 – Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project
10/27 – Vancouver, BC @ Green Auto
11/29 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club #
11/30 – Liverpool, UK @ Jimmy’s #
12/01 – Glasgow, UK @ the Hug & Pint #
12/02 – Dublin, Ireland @ Workmen’s Club #
12/04 – Manchester, UK @ Yes #
12/05 – Bristol, UK @ Strange Brew #
12/06 – London, UK @ Moth Club #
12/07 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store #
12/10 – Antwerp, Belgium @ Trix #
12/11 – Paris, France @ L’International #
12/13 – Berlin, Germany @ Bedehaus Szimiple #
12/14 – Leipzig, Germany @ Conne Island #
12/15 – Schorndorf, Germany @ Club Manufaktur #
12/16 – Munster, Germany @ Gleis 22 #

* supporting Geese
# supporting Slow Pulp

Taste The Honey is out 1/19 on Fire Talk.