Holy HolyThe members of Holy Holy have bonded over mutual fondness of groups like Band Of Horses, Grizzly Bear and Pink Floyd, and those influences shine through on the Australian duo's debut album.
It's a very pure-sounding record; vocals tinged with reverb and gallant guitar work dominate, each track sounding as through it's drifting through the breeze across a field stretching towards the horizon. Sentimental And Monday is a fitting introduction, building up slowly compared to most of the other tracks, but climaxing towards the end with a huge vocal. Outside Of The Heart Of It takes on a folkier approach with simple instrumentation, but still manages to show plenty of heart. Unsurprisingly, leading single You Cannot Call For Love Like A Dog stands up as one of the biggest moments on the record, at least vocally; the ethereal harmonies, commanding drum beat and powerful nature of the guitar work recalls something of the Cigarettes, Wedding Bands moment on Band Of Horses' fantastic album, Cease To Begin. That's not to take anything away from the second half of this album — Wanderer shakes things up with a bass-dominated tune; Pretty Strays For Hopeless Lovers is softer vocally, but the chaotic instrumental at the end is an album highlight; and final track The Crowd is a reflective piano-driven piece that brings the record to a close wonderfully. Holy Holy sound more confident in their approach and style than groups facing their third and forth efforts, and as such, their future looks very bright.
