Holy Wave
Freaks of Nurture
Reviewed by: Ziggy Merritt
As I’ve begun to settle into the Winter That Never Was I’ve come to appreciate the whirlpool of worthy lo-fi recordings that have overtaken my ears in the past few weeks. After all when it comes to the delicious match-up of garage rock and shoegaze there’s hardly a more fitting pair to carry into unseasonably warm surroundings. Freaks of Nurture, the latest effort from Austin rockers, Holy Wave, is aiming to lead us all into the ongoing spring awakening in a cloud of haze and indulgent reverb.
You’d be forgiven for believing, even just for a moment, that this record belongs instead to some obscure psychedelic pop act from the ’60s who never quite made it out of that decade alive. Sonically, the boys of Holy Wave have crafted something emblematic of the garage rock sound of that era, yet do so without sacrificing their own identity in the process.
With most running the length of five minutes or more, the ten tracks that make up Freaks of Nurture all have their part to play in creating a cohesive album that flirts with experimentation and vintage pop pleasantries including echoey vocals, jangly guitar melodies, and a rock organ pulled straight from the b-side of a Doors’ single. The second track, “Wendy Go Round” provides ample helpings of each in its effort to recollect the fuzzy, feel-good vibes so characteristic of the Wall of Sound aesthetic. Much of the album proceeds along a similar path with “Western Playland” and “Our Pigs”, doing their damnedest to amp up the reverb along the way.
If there’s any fault with Freaks of Nurture it lies in that same commitment to its own ideal. It’s easy to get lost in the album in a casual listen. Any attention paid to deciphering the far-away vocals would be better spent appreciating some of Nurture’s high points with particular attention to the dramatic opening on “Sir Isaac Nukem.” Punching in with seldom heard organ rock and the slight warble and distortion of the guitar, it remains the clear standout as it drives itself forward with an almost feverish intensity that carries over into the moodier “Magic Landing.” With this latest album, Holy Wave has taken the time to reinvigorate the sound of a bygone era with fresh blood.
Rating: Bad-Ass
