Holy Holy – My Own Pool of Light

Holy Holy – My Own Pool of Light
Reader Rating0 Votes
3.7

Here on their third record, Holy Holy take the mantra “put your best foot forward” a little too seriously. What sets up My Own Pool of Light is a song so stunning you can’t help feeling that you’ve just found your new favourite band. ‘Maybe You Know’ is an anxious call to the depressed, teetering on the edge of something profoundly misunderstood. The eagerness in the duo’s delivery is not unlike fellow-Aussie band Gang of Youths, who seemingly perfected the art of writing vocal hooks that demand your attention. It’s this opening track that sets the tone for the rest of the record, but unfortunately, the rest doesn’t ever quite reach that same apex.

Three records in, there’s no denying that Holy Holy know their way around a song. And “Maybe You Know” isn’t the only example of that, it’s just the best example. The other ten songs weave their way in and out of a variety of influences (Radiohead, Fitz and the Tantrums, etc.) all spearheaded by an uncanny, at times, vocal likeness to Alex Trimble. There are some standout tracks definitely, but also a bit too many that fall into an envelope marked “ship to Trendy Radio Station, Inc.” Saying it gets a bit generic at times would be underselling the powerful storytelling and tight musicianship on display here… but it also wouldn’t be entirely untrue.

Allow me to take a step back for a moment… There is a lot of rubbish out there. This is absolutely not that. For better or worse, “Maybe You Know” is the first song I’ve ever heard from this band. It’s almost as if they set the bar too high for a listener like me. There is a lot to love here. (The album’s closer is actually almost as effective as its opener… almost.)

But at the end of the day, My Own Pool of Light is a pretty good record that just happens to have a pitch-perfect, 10/10 opener. Nothin’ wrong with that.

Haiku Review
My Own Pool of Light
Has one of the best track ones
Of 2019.

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