Album Review: Holychild – The Shape of Brat Pop to Come
2 min read
When one is asked to review an album entitled The Sound of Brat-Pop to Come, one must ask ‘where is brat-pop now, how is this band changing brat-pop, and what the heck is brat pop anyway.’ Well luckily for me the duo that is behind the band, the new album have describe it for me. Louie Diller and Liz Nistico claim that brat pop is somewhere between Katy Perry and Bjork. It is candy pop, but twisted.
Holychild are abrasive from the get-go. Their opening track Barbie Nation, is absolutely a pop song. It has a catchy chorus, and a danceable beat. But it is so shocking at the same time. The jolted beats, and the clucking of a cow bell. It is a rebellious way of attacking a pop song. Although this is impressive, it is no Crystal Castles. You’re not being shocked out of chair.
This formula follows throughout most of the LP. Simple pop melodies over complex drumming and glittery synth. Every song is a bit of a play-around. Money All Around for example is a clear play with boom-bat hip-hop beats. Running Behind reminds me Afro-Caribbean beats, which reminds me a bit of some of Cults songs. There are even some moments when the group sinks into some great neo-soul, like on the track Regret You. There are some great influences on this album. And the beats in general are great.
The sound is slick and cool. The further one moves through the album the more the grooves take hold, and the songs become more enjoyable. When there is more experimentation with African and Carribean beats the better the album become I feel. It is always easy to disregard artists like Holychild as simple pop music. This always degrades music.
That being said, although there is some deep lyricism on this album, a lot of it is a bit corny. I think that is a part of the point of the group. But honestly I really didn’t need to hear “I have my money all around, now take your clothes off make me proud”. You guys can do better than that.
