Electric Soft Parade's 2002 release Holes In the Wall is an album of sheer annoyance and frustration. I was in my mid-teens when I first heard this record, and I completely associated these sounds with my moods at the time.
Holes In the Wall has a certain thrust to it, which differs from most other albums of that era. I can remember thinking there was nothing quite like it in 2002, and I still can't quite pinpoint it to anything now. The two brothers who created it, played on it and sang it; Alex and Thomas White; are quite unique.
The glorious track to get the tempo raised is Empty at the End. This is sung with such alacrity that one can't quite help joining in. The enthusiastic tone is also repeated on the crashing There's a Silence. Many a time I've sung along at the top of my voice.
What happens next though, is quite alarming. The lengthening ending of Silent to the Dark to encapsulate a dream like ending sequence; with spacious digital drum beats and drifting vocals; completely throws the listener. When I first purchased this album, I used to skip this track. Having relistened, the better it is for being there. Nine minutes in length, it allows pause for thought- a half time break of an album.
The marvellously twisted Why Do You Try So Hard to Hate Me; a track again boasting a powerful volley of vocals across booming chorus lines; is the highlight of the second half. We wrap up with Biting the Soles of My Feet and Red Balloon For Me. The guitars and the electronic sounds matching the mood in the record. This is my go-to album whenever I have a moment of angst, the White brothers tend to know exactly how I feel.
Friday 13 March 2015
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