Project Description
HOLY HOLY
‘My Own Pool Of Light’
(Album Review)
Reviewer: Vicky Hebbs
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At last, here it is, the album that HOLY HOLY fans everywhere have been unexpectedly, excitedly and nervously waiting for! My Own Pool of Light is HOLY HOLY’s third LP, one which marks a clear evolution for the Australian duo. Expected to be heavily drum-focused, I admit I was a little skeptical the album could be ruined by a bland drumbeat allowing little differentiation between tracks. Thankfully, I now think I was very wrong.
In conversation with FRANKIE magazine, the band’s lead vocalist Tim described sitting on a plane and thinking about the passengers around him, who are all leading characters in their own lives. The album explores the concept of being in our own worlds, our own pools of light that make us inherently self-motivated, or perhaps selfish. This album digs even deeper into the sound HOLY HOLY developed on their second LP released back in 2017, Paint.
The first song on the album, Maybe You Know, hits you with a melodic intensity that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The track starts with an echoing of voices, before lead singer Tim’s unique vocals kick in. It is a song that explores those ‘what if…?’ questions that life brings up, the questions of what life could be and could have been if you only took a slightly different path. This song is probably amongst my top three songs from the album, from the chorus when Tim’s voices rises liltingly to the classic HOLY HOLY guitar line that builds spectacularly three minutes into the song.
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Second track ‘Faces’ is the first single that was released in the leadup to the August 2 album drop. To me, this track really defines the new era of HOLY HOLY’s progression, most notably with the constant backing drumbeat. I’d say this song has probably been fairly polarising for HOLY HOLY fans and other listeners, as it relies heavily on repetition. It is very easy to get swept up in the beat, as it has an upbeat catchiness and sweeping lyrics that flow like poetry.
‘Flight’ takes a more chilled approach with a haunting intro beat overlaid by the whispering echoes of chattering children playing in the schoolyard. The song has an intimate, maybe even primal feel. The layers of sound effects and not just instruments make this a sonically interesting, song that has many dimensions and undulates with complexity. I really enjoy the strange voice effects that sound as if Tim is speaking to a deep-throated spiritual being – could it be the voice of God?
Another song that relies on a rich combination of sounds, Sandra starts with a bang, pushing forwards with light cymbals to keep a steady beat. The trill of electronic sounds combined with a chorus of backing vocals create these layers of sound. Starting Line has an edgier feel, while Teach Me About Dying is filled with both nostalgia and hopeful optimism about being alive, though the title might suggest otherwise.
St. Petersburg is absolutely beautiful. It is reminiscent of their most melancholic songs from the When Storms Would Come LP, but has its own delicate and original sound. It is the perfect last song, and if you are short on time or want a taste of the album’s best, I would tell you to listen to this one and the opening track to start with.
HOLY HOLY’s third LP is a huge creative leap into the dark, and you can hear the freedom they have allowed themselves or been allowed to exercise in the production of this album. There is not one formula for all the songs on the album; once again, HOLY HOLY have produced an album that weaves and harmonises to form a body of songs that are complementary and yet distinctly different enough to offer many welcome surprises.
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