- Take Brisbane’s Timothy Carroll and Melbourne’s Oscar Dawson, give them some guitars, an analogue synthesiser and a tape recorder circa 1970 and you get Holy Holy. The dynamic duo have had a busy twelve months, touring the country, skipping over to Berlin for a while and recently signing to Wonderlick Entertainment, home to other Australian favourites like Josh Pyke and Boy & Bear. Now the band have finally found the time to release their debut EP, The Pacific – a four track masterpiece that delivers everything you’d expect from Holy Holy and more.

Much of the EP was recorded on that old tape machine from the 1970s, a method that results in an innate aesthetic that could not have been achieved digitally. It makes for a more considered end product where every element is a thoughtful addition rather than an unnecessary flourish. Although recording to tape is very constraining in many ways, it seems to have brought out the best in creativity for the duo.

The EP opens with House of Cards, a slow building alt-folk/rock ballad driven by a twirling guitar riff and harmonic flourishes built around Carroll’s vocals, which really ground the track. Lead single Impossible Like You is the absolute standout on the EP. From the pared-back jangly guitar melody to the dark, layered vocals every element fits together effortlessly.

As the title Slow Melody might suggest, the third track on the The Pacific begins as a softer expansive soundscape, that then slowly builds into a melancholic explosion of guitar and drums driven by emotive vocals and plenty of reverb.

Finally, Cincinnati ends on an edgier note, Carroll’s vocals embody a kind of bravado that really changes the dynamic of Holy Holy’s usual formula. The scratchy guitar riffs are dirtier and the vocal harmonies in the chorus are eerily foreboding. This unexpected turn perfectly highlights the duo’s song-writing prowess and serves as a stark reminder that Holy Holy aren’t to be dismissed as just another indie-rock spinoff. It will be great to see where these guys go next and really it’s anyone’s guess as to what they come up with.

- Clare Armstrong.