Holy Balm
It's You
7 Track, LP (2012, R.I.P. Society)
Related: Holy Balm.
A friend describes the music of Holy Balm as “wounce”. Claiming it's a compound of “wobble” and “bounce”. She says it's a sound that makes her dance. Whether Holy Balm are spearheading a new genre in dance music or not, their take on big, loose and fat beats mixed with live percussion is most definitely fun. And, yes, a little wobbly.
The Sydney three-piece – Anna John, Jonathan Hochman and Emma Ramsay – have established themselves as an innovative and interesting dance band among the city's art and warehouse fringe, but save for the odd tape, their recorded output has been sparse. That all changes with the release of their debut album featuring more of the “wounce” that takes its cues from the New York post-disco scene of the early-’80s (particularly acts such as Konk and Liquid Liquid). The album kicks off with a cover of another New York art band, Y Pants, and a fist-in-the-air-pumping version of their 'Favourite Sweater'. The song has been a live favourite for a while, setting the tone for an album based largely on synth and house-influenced beats.
Holy Balm - Take it by R.I.P SOCIETY RECORDS
With members active in other Sydney acts (Raw Prawn, Convent and Four Door), Holy Balm approach music with an open mind. And while they lean heavily on rhythm, this is more than just dance music for the indie set. The beats on 'Losing Control' and 'Holy Balm Theme' positively drip with dance-floor sweat. It's all fluoro head bands, Reebok boxing boots and sloppy dancing.
Working with Jon Hunter from the Holy Soul to record and mix the album, the sound here is less claustrophobic and murky as I remember seeming them live. (But maybe that had more to do with my “murky” state of mind at the time?) 'Phone Song' delves into some darker territory, with bleeps and sirens, before slowing down to some almost new-soul vocals. 'Take It' has Ramsay's warm and breathy vocals backed by a clinical rhythmic beat.
They save the best to last. The eight-and-a-half-minute 'One and Only' opens with Ramsay's empyrean vocals, “Somedays you need a favour/Somedays then nothing at all”, over a bubbling beat. Spacey echo keyboards and whip-like drum cracks come in later to help transform you to the Mudd Club circa 1982.
by Tim Scott
They also put a 7'' out. It would be nice to see this album with an 'On Rotation' review. Pretty tops band.
Not sure how I feel about this ''fringe'' thing either. But oh well! Looking forward very much to getting this.
It's all about new balance sneakers these days
agreeing with goldbuttons. I think the NYC '81 reference points are restrictive and a bit lazy but hey. This is dance music pure/simple.
How much advertising space can you purchase?
:D
p.s. already streaming on Spotify! I am dancing in my bedroom to it right now and it is much more exciting than this review makes it out to be.
Bit harsh, comments section, bit harsh. Thought this review summed up really well what I've heard of the record so far.
I gave this album a whirl on Spotify earlier today - honestly I didn't find much to connect with. Comes across sounding a lot like a lot of the other deconstructed dance stuff that's happened in Aus over the last few years, but I plan to see if a few more listens makes it click a little more.
yeah, Nikko and The Lovetones really forked out the big bucks for their On Rotation reviews...
i need to know how it sounds in regional France
fairly pumped to hear this. even more excited about the launch tonight!
Saw the last four songs of their set in Adelaide last week.
Was pretty unimpressed.
there's so many points on this album where you think the producer/engineer would have gone ''er, yeah, maybe try that again''. synth tones are pretty zz
for me the whole essence of Holy Balm is that they're very loose and organic and a bit playful and unpredictable - some nights they're incredible, other nights they can fall a bit flat. I like the way they work though. I'm ready to forgive them that they're a bit dorky and sloppy rather than reliably slick, & I don't always do that.
I'll probably pick this LP up off the strength of the single.
byron coley wrote a lazy lazy review comparing HB's 7'' to something that could have been from the downtown scene and come out on ze or 99 records, there is no doubt in my mind he went to the holy balm myspace and saw the y pants cover and that's how the whole stupid connection was made. but in the end it doesn't really matter. looking forward to the 12'' coming out on home loan records
Oh yeah, I think I've heard of them.
Had a stab at this today but had turn it off a few songs in - just ain't my thing.
diggin' this big time!
wow you cant judge an album by its sleeve......crap