David Holmes - The Holy Pictures

Labour of love becomes ultimate triumph

These days David Holmes is better-known for soundtracks to Hollywood blockbusters like the Oceans series, but he has always remained faithful to his roots in Belfast, where he ran insane club nights before becoming a fireball DJproducer riding with techno’s best. Along with his extensive knowledge of anything from mod to psych, Holmes’ previous three solo albums displayed the soon-to-berealised cinematic yearn, but this album started gestating after the death of his beloved mother, Sarah, in 1996, catalysing his ambition to make an album about his life. Now it’s reached fruition as both deeply-spiritual reflection plus joyous celebration of influences (including JAMC, Beach Boys, Krautrock, Eno and West Coast psych).

The album starts with the incandescent psych-pop single I Heard Wonders, which sees Holmes collaborating with Suicide’s Martin Rev and revealing that he can sing too. The wild diversity of styles intertwine gloriously through outings such as the sensual cosmic motorik of Love Reign Over Me, while Story Of The Ink and Theme/IMC combine heavenly melodic interplay and hallucinogenic swirls. The album closes with the unbelievablypoignant Ballad Of Sarah & Jack. David’s mother couldn’t have wished for a better tribute: her boy sure done her proud.

5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars

Canderblinks/Mercury/UMC | tbc

Reviewed by Kris Needs
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