I’m just going to put it straight out there: in my humble little opinion, Holy Holy’s ‘Impossible Like You’ is one of the best breakthrough singles that I have ever heard from any band.
It’s a tall claim, I know. But apparently, when an award-winning singer/songwriter (Timothy Carroll) and an experienced guitarist/composer (Oscar Dawson) coincidentally meet up in Europe and begin demoing tracks for unknown projects, the results are something incredibly special. Move these musicians back to Brisbane, let them record live to tape with producer Matt Redlich (Ball Park Music, Emma Louise, The Trouble With Templeton), bring in some drum and bass help (Ryan Strathie, Graham Ritchie, and Myka Wallace), and you get 'The Pacific EP', a release that proves that Holy Holy is DEFINITELY something incredibly extraordinary.
'The Pacific EP' is a release full of crescendos. With lyrics covering themes of humanity in the unknown (‘House of Cards’), mortality (‘Cincinatti’) and divinity (‘Slow Melody’), the four songs drive home narratives with building soundtracks of duelling guitars, harmony-riddled vocals and commanding percussion. Current single and EP opener, ‘House of Cards’, sees Carroll’s smooth and powerful voice asking questions such as ‘Will we be on the right side of history?’ with support from intricate guitar harmonies, ambient vocal soundscapes and metronomic percussion. ‘Impossible Like You’ follows; with clear psychedelic influences, its cascading guitar lines build up to one of the strongest middle eights of last year. Yes, another tall claim, but this track is just solid gold.
By track three, it’s clear that guitar riffs are one of Holy Holy’s strongest assets. At first, ‘Slow Melody’ seems to bring the EP down a pace, but then explodes in an instrumental dominated by triumphant guitar lines that, somehow, never become overpowering. The galloping drum and bass-driven ‘Cincinatti’ closes the EP, with its sombre narrative perfectly carried by the slow burner pace and emotive choral interludes.
The strength of Holy Holy can simply be put down to a sheer dedication to craft. Their songs have a timeless quality, fusing impeccable songwriting, thought-provoking lyrics, near-flawless performances, and lush production. Moulding the best of bands such as Midlake, The National, and Bright Eyes into something entirely their own, The Pacific EP lays the musical foundations for a band destined for something big.
Holy Holy is truly something extraordinary.
'The Pacific EP' is out now! Head to http://www.holyholymusic.com/buy/ to grab yourself a copy.
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