Holy Smokes; The: No Romance

It's always cool when a local band screeches into view, a fully rounded vision of what they want to portray already dripping intently from their debut outing. In the case of Edinburgh, Scotland, duo The Holy Smokes, that debut is a four tracker called No Romance, the suggestion clear that this lot have no intention of beating around the bush before taking you all the way.

"Disenchanted" hits an energetic stride, the Indie vibe given a sharp hoof up the jacksy while the vocals, which the pair of drummer Louie Anderson and guitarist Andy Mortimer, nearly always deliver in unison, soothe and cajole. The same passionate approach seeps through in "Deceived", the pair's ability to draw you in through catchy hooks and memorable melody lines a treat.

Just as there's a slight worry that THS might just have the one trick up their sleeve, the rest of their bag of goodies is thrown on the table through the eerie, melancholic echo of "Three Words". Leaving "Liar" to add a Biffy Clyro-esque vocal and a shuffling, shouting hi-hat blur to insist you take in this band's down-beat good times.

The retro-Indie flavours The Holy Smokes specialise in may not provide my usual listening feast and yet, when it's done well, there's no denying just how irresistible this sound can be. There may be No Romance here, but there's every chance you'll be thoroughly smitten.

Track Listing
1. Disenchanted
2. Deceived
3. Three Words
4. Liar

Added: April 15th 2016
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: The Holy Smokes on bandcamp
Hits: 1413
Language: english

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