Words: Ben Forrester (Photo Credit: Tom Whitson)
Caroline – Caroline
(Rough Trade)
We were pretty transfixed by the graceful alt folk stylings of Caroline’s debut single ‘Dark Blue’ back in 2020. Lo-fi but with a warm sense of grandeur, they definitely had us at hello here at BCFB. Formed in late 2017, the London based outfit spent the best part of a year behind closed doors, developing in sound and members, forming as a trio but emerging from the practice room as an eight piece. With live shows now played, a deal with Rough Trade inked and a few more singles out, it’s finally time for Caroline’s debut album.
Born out of hours of improvised sessions, this is an album that lives in the moment. Most of the shorter, almost interlude-like tracks are experimental pieces of close mic’d acoustic guitar that at times seem like they come out of nowhere. I think that’s what makes this album such an interesting piece – it’s not about a polished performance or even a polished recording, it’s about being present in the here and now. That’s where the improv element of Caroline really starts to shine through, as you can hear them feeling their way through certain sections, particularly on the meandering outro to ’Skydiving Onto The Library Roof’.
Musically, they combine avant-garde folk, mid-western emo and even bits of jazz and post-rock to deliver a set that really needs to be absorbed with full engagement. It would be all too easy to link this to Black Country, New Road and though I can see parallels in this sprawling sound, there is something about Caroline and this record that goes deeper, almost on a spiritual level.
There is so much poise and patience in these arrangements, they tend to stay in one place before darting off in another direction and diving deep into a motif or a groove. I find that a lot of the tracks end with these hypnotic passages that usually come from big, beautiful builds, like in the gorgeous emo folk melodies of ‘Good Morning (Red)’ or the Godspeed-goes-free-jazz chaos of closer ’Natural Death’.
It’s amazing how Caroline manage to be totally heart-warming and unsettling at the same time. If you like things on the more experimental side, you’ll love digging into this; mysterious, unnerving, intoxicating and beautiful, Caroline lure us in on a fascinating debut.
Holodrum – Holodrum
(Gringo Records)
We’ve only very recently banged on about the greatness of the Leeds scene, with both Thank and Yard Act already releasing bold, brash and beautiful debuts in 2022. And now we have a third, which even includes a member of the aforementioned Yard Act! To be fair, the collective CV of Holodrum reads extremely well, with members lending various hands to the likes of Drahla, Virginia Wing, Cowtown and Hookworms.
I was informed by our faithful Ed that we featured the band right at the start when they released their debut single at the back end of 2019 (he’s right ya know – Ed). Needless to say, it’s been a wee while since we’ve heard much else, but excitingly Holodrum have an album ready to show us!
This self titled debut is a sparkling set of vintage disco, with 80’s electro pulses, shimmering pop melodies and even hints of post-punk sharpness. Half of these tracks are shorter bursts of danceable, electro pop, brimming with bubblegum hooks and undeniably infectious grooves. Recent single ‘Free Advice’ is a glittery piece of synth laden funk pop that shifts into dizzying levels of transcendency more than once, while ’No Dither’ locks into the groove with some fully hip shaking bass work and an excellent call and response breakout that sees guitarist Sam taking on the role of Yorkshire’s answer to James Murphy.
The other half of the songs build all the previous traits mentioned but sink deeper into a vibe, moving well over the 5 minute mark; my favourite probably being the disco kraut bewilderment of closer ‘Clean’. It seems to cater for every kind of dance fan – it can go in and keep the beat moving for the seasoned raver, but also has some briefer bursts of melody fuelled energy for those that want a quick fire dance pop hit.
It’s very clear to see that Holodrum is made up of musicians that come from all sides of the alternative scene. You can hear glimpses of so many different genres in here. Aside from the obvious, you can hear the punk, you can even hear the prog, but ultimately you can feel these sumptuous pop grooves that all members have injected into their previous projects in some shape or form. It manages to be both immediate and expansive and is pretty much impossible not to move to. All in all, an effortlessly cool and delightfully groovy debut from a supremely talented collective. Was there ever any doubt!
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