(((O))) Review: David Holmes featuring Raven Violet – Blind On A Galloping Horse

Belfast DJ/musician/producer David Holmes is a maverick in the music world. Brought up on the mean streets of a city torn with conflict, he wanted to unify the two sides with a love of dance music, starting up his own legendary club Sugar Sweet, in Belfast’s Art College. The inevitable progression into releasing his own music started in earnest with debut single ‘Johnny Favourite’ which this young student purchased before moving onto debut album This Film’s Crap, Let’s Slash The Seats. I’ve never met the man, nor been to any of his clubs, the closest I got was going to see The Free Association play in the Empire, a side project featuring a full band of musicians.

Holmes would eventually find himself procuring multiple film soundtracks and TV shows over many years. All of this probably helped no end with paying the bills mind you so you can’t blame the guy. It also raised the profile of his own releases and here he is with a new album entitled Blind On A Galloping Horse, which is actually billed officially as a collaboration with God Daughter Raven Violet. Clocking in at 75 minutes, this album is not for the faint of heart as Holmes has a message he wants to get across. Calling out the world’s inequality, division, restriction, corruption and lack of control, he sums it up with typical Northern Irish wit saying, “The Troubles feel like pre-production for all this shit!”. I can relate to this having grown up through them myself.

Opening track ‘When People Are Occupied Resistance Is Justified’ contains heavily politicised intent and is a brooding track that simmers with an intensity built up on deep bass throbs and droning synths. Holmes knows only too well about extreme violence and the horrors that occur when two sides occupy one land and just cannot get along. This ten-minute track never lets up in terms of keeping the listener on edge. Calling in his cinematic soundtrack experience he builds the track up into an epic bluster before subsiding into a haunting passage of whispers and silence. Heavenly tones break through, and the track becomes a euphoric as the atmosphere changes to one of hope.

A previously released track (co-written with Noel Gallagher) ‘It’s Over, If We Run Out Of Love’ has been given an upgrade with stunning effect. The psychedelic synths that permeate the main melody is simply gorgeous and makes you feel soooooooooo good. Perhaps it’s the release of the opening track that really plays on the nerves that this song just uplifts the listener. Raven’s delivery is mainly monotone but, on this song, she casually tosses out a great melody. The spindly synths that open ‘Emotionally Clear’ sound like they’ve just dropped in from the 70s. Raven’s voice is multi-tracked brilliantly as she leans into the stunning chorus while a swirling organ surrounds her and it’s simply mesmerising. The sweet tones are a stark contrast to the powerful message in the lyrics.

‘Hope Is The Last Thing To Die’ has a warped bass synth twists your head with it’s depth as a sprightly wee dancing synth line hovers like a firefly. Holmes has done an incredible job throughout this album creating huge waves of synths that sweep you up and envelope you, yet they are spacious and floaty. When this track kicks into full flow it makes me think this album is up there with Screamadelica in terms of the sounds, depth and feelings it unleashes. The frankly bizarrely named ‘You Will Know Me By The Smell Of Onions’ is thankfully not in alignment with the whiffy name. It’s a swirling psychedelic instrumental with a plethora of layered synths all vying for your attention with various gorgeous melodies all interplaying. Each listen brings new tunes to the fore.

Once again Holmes rings out another glorious melody line on his keyboard that carries ‘Necessary Genius’ as Raven’s voice is such a unique flatline in tone. But this works so well creating a mood, the tracks are no less melodic just because the singer isn’t doing a Whitney. ‘Necessary Genius’ is pop perfection, and the list of great people and causes is intelligent and well thought. The lyric that finishes the song “I believe in Lyra McKee, I believe in Sinead O’Connor, I believe in refugees” hits hard. Watch the documentary about murdered investigative journalist ‘Lyra’, which Holmes soundtracked, to understand why.

For once, Raven elevates her singing beyond the more prevalent style for the Spector-esque pop of ‘Yeah x 3’, which has a sweet melody and sounds like it has been teleported from a bygone era when musical with melody was important, and every Top 40 listing was like a classic album listing. Guitars make their first obvious impact on the album leading the charge on the powerful ‘I Laugh Myself To Sleep’, a cover version of an unreleased Andy Weatherall track. It’s reminiscent of Death In Vegas when they were crossing over into rock territory. Every scathing lyric on this song thrills me, the opening couplet “There’s lack of respect, there’s lack of due deference, then there’s being robbed blind and asked for a reference” particularly apt given today’s entitled society. Add “there’s pissed down my leg and tell me it’s raining” for good measure.

The booming synths on the krautrock inspired ‘Too Muchroom’ make you feel like you’ve been bludgeoned about the head. The lyric “If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much room” repeated like a mantra, is actually very smart and is a stark reminder of living in this age. The magical ‘Agitprop 13’ is a kaleidoscopic and blissful instrumental that sounds like it could soundtrack that scene in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory when Charlie and his Grandpa go floating up into the roof burping out bubbles. It also acts as a much-needed bridge between the two serious and thought-provoking tracks it sits between. The jiggety fidgety groove and searing drones of ‘Stop Apologising’ are strangely hypnotic as Raven delivers an ice cool vocal that is insanely simple and addictive, I’ve been singing it for weeks.

When you have an album spawning 75 minutes of music there is an inevitable chance the quality may dip somewhere on the way and it’s ironic that it dips for me with a song called ‘Tyranny Of The Talentless’. Raven’s delivery teeters on the edge of really not giving a fuck, and that’s the downfall of the track that might have worked better as an instrumental as the music is fine. Another track that succumbs to an exhaustive running time is the odd ‘Love In The Upside Down’ which is sketchy with a myriad of experimental sounds all whooshing and rushing about leaving Raven with a real problem in how to deal with the noisier elements. She ends up doing a cheerleader chant that might elevate the track somewhat, but it sounds out of place given her singing throughout the rest of the album. As the pace quickens the track becomes more enjoyable.

Finally album closer and title track ‘Blind On A Galloping Horse’ ends the album on a high with a blissful set of droning synths that are triumphant and hopeful in tone. Raven regains her strength and coolness as she leads the chant of “Blind on a galloping horse” over a spidery keyboard line. The beats drop down to a bare minimum and the track is a bit of foray into dub with a monstrous bass line. The final word on the album belong to a refugee living in Northern Ireland and despite not knowing what is being said, the album fades leaving you feeling like you’ve been on quite the journey.

I actually dithered a while about taking on this review. I’d heard the singles and had reviewed the last Unloved album, which I struggled with. But the new versions of the singles and the fact they live inside the confines of the album make them much more enjoyable. The running time might appear intimidating, but you need to just set yourself down knowing you are going to immerse yourself in this glorious music. It’s best enjoyed with a good pair of earbuds or headphones to enjoy the superb production and luscious synths. David Holmes is a free spirit, always has been, he does what he pleases and has earned the right to do so with his extensive back catalogue. Blind On A Galloping Horse is an intense but richly rewarding record clearly made with passion and love. A modern classic.