The Beat Surrender

David Holmes is a guy i’ve always had a lot of time for both as an artist and as a DJ, he’s conituned to evolve and change what he is doing, not based on styles around and about him musically at the time, but more to do with what his gripped him and given him the drive and passion to produce what he wants to produce.

This has encompassed some quality beats (Bow Down To The Exit Sign, Let’s Get Killed), to the more cinematic inspired This Films Crap Lets Slash The Seats, to his Free Association album that was inspired by 70’s funk and is still one of my favourites by him to this day. In fact it still remains a favourite even though I started coming down with menangitis during one of the gigs on that tour and was later that night hospitalised for two weeks!

You can also add to that the soundtracks he has produced for the three Ocean’s films and it’s obvious he is a versatile and talented individual who is willing to push himself and the boundaries to produce something individually pleasing. Despite all these successes though he has had a burning need nagging away in the background to everything he’s done so far, a nagging that with the release of his 4th album proper has finally been answered.

Holmes himself says “The story of this album really began on the 4th of August 1996, when my mother, Sarah Holmes, passed away. I had always wanted to make a record about my life in Belfast and all the things attached to that – family, friends, loss and starting a family of my own”. The one thing that Holmes has never done before on his records is really pour the personal things from his heart and his soul into the tracks. Sure some were beautiful, some were funky, some had an edge, but a personal record which is done well usually elevates itself above any others.

Boy has he done it well, it’s early days yet and needs more listens over time but my initial impression is that this could be his best album yet. From the new wave sounding intro of I Heard Wonders, that then delves into a melody driven track reminiscent of Primal Scream, to the beautiful almost doleful piano on closing track The Ballad Of Sarah & Jack it really is a wonderful album.

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