Originally forming in El Paso, TX, Holy Wave made their move to Austin, TX in 2008. And it’s no wonder, as Austin is a hot bed for great psychedelic rock. The 13th Floor Elevators were the first band to refer their music as “psychedelic rock” and bands like The Black Angels, The Octopus Project, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Holy Wave and many others have kept that tradition alive in the self-proclaimed “Live Music Capital of the World”. Combining surf rock sounds, group vocals and droning riffs with psychedelic rock, the multi-instrumentalist members of Holy Wave have created a unique sound that captivates the listener on every album. With their fifth studio release, Interloper, Holy Wave adds more layers to their songs both musically and lyrically.
Interloper is an album about the duality of life on the road and at home. The album opener, “Schmetterling”, instantly immerses the listener in whirling, airy synths that give a sense of being out in the open and radiates with an aura of optimism. The second track “R&B” sounds like a combination of The Beach Boys and Spiritualized with its surf rock vibes. Simplistic lyrics such as “I knew I wanted to be with you when you kissed me” and “I take you everywhere I go by the hand/or in my mind” add a Beach Boys feel to the track. This sentiment of young love is juxtaposed on the track “No Love”, which conveys opposite feelings of regret. “No love/No feeling at all” is sung over a more droning tune which ends with a screeching saxophone solo that dredges up a feeling of melancholy. The tite track offers up cinematic synths building over Holy Waves’ brand of dream pop that brings to mind early Pink Floyd. “Buddhist Pete” really feels like the climax of the album with a pulsing rhythm that leaves the quieter album closer “Redhead” for the listener to recover with its pensive synths and droning vocals.
Interloper finds Holy Wave further developing and refining their arranging and songwriting, and increasingly becoming a band to be reckoned with. It is also interesting to note that Interloper has a noticeable absence of guitars in the forefront. It’s not that they are completely gone, they are just very much in the background for most of the album and serve to add texture rather than drive the song. With Interloper Holy Wave has made great strides and, as they have stated that this album is a bit experimental, it is safe to say the experiment worked.
