Album Review: Holy Other - Held

Holy Other
Held
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Enigmatic Manchester producer Holy Other, who has yet to reveal his name or perform without wearing a face-concealing shroud, last year released his debut EP With U, a drifting, somber collection of tracks that skirted and blurred the lines between ambient, witch house, and future R&B. Featuring clattering percussion, ethereal keyboards, and tweaked out vocal samples, With U fit neatly within the confines of witch house, but had a wandering, elusive quality that elevated it to something more than just genre worship. Holy Other's debut full length Held doesn't stray far from the formula he set out in With You, collecting 9 tracks continuing his sound, but showing no clear indication of whether he can expand on it. With that said, it is still a compelling sound. Held is all shadows and dark light, a sepulchral walk through deserted city streets. Essentially there is one mood here and as long as you enjoy one track, you will like all others. But for those seeking a more stylistically diverse collection, you will surely be disappointed.

Opening track "(W)here" blooms out of a blocked beat and disembodied vocal samples, an steady sense of unease brewing just below the surface.



Album standout "Tense Past" builds over rumbling chimes and rising synths, as a supremely tweaked vocal sample is twisted and manipulated into a eerie prayer.



Deep washes of analog synth strings and harsh percussion continue the lonely and forlorn mood on "Love Some1."



A paranoid, cut-up vocal sample adds more edge to the schizophrenic density of "U Now."



His expert use of distorted vocal samples to convey mood and feeling continues on tracks like "In Difference" and "Past Tension."



There is a slight change-up on closing track "Nothing Here" that builds from a haunting ambient place, haunted synths and ghostly vocals whispering in the background slowly get more forceful, as competing samples intertwine with each other. The R&B influence in his sound becomes more pronounced as the track incorporates a more traditional melody as the track progresses.



Held is solid debut for Holy Other, but in terms of expanding the sound from With U it is a mild disappointment as it merely continues that trajectory without really indicating where he wants to take it, or whether he has the talent to expand it. In a sense, it is a triumph because it is wonderfully produced, atmospheric music, but yet, a failure in that there is no growth or progression. As such, it remains a bit of a mystery, much like his persona, as to what he is capable of; we are left in the dark until his next release. I, for one, am eagerly awaiting that day.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.