Holy Esque inhabit a melancholic world of bruised yearning and cathartic release all embodied in Pat Haynes’ wonderfully unique vocal which at times sounds like he’s gargling glass. With a great ear for melody their sound is big but rooted in the shadows, eschewing the empty rhetoric of the usual arena acts for something subtler, more confessional.
Their debut album At Hope’s Ravine follows a confident series of singles and EPs that have earned the band a national following. Opening track Prism builds the tension before the driving rhythms of Rose. The layered expanse of Hexx and Covenant lead into the taut Silences and Strange. Doll House is a striking ballad, My Wilderness is a pure pop earworm while Tear and the brilliant single St show the band at their best. Only the title track disappoints.
At Hope’s Ravine is epic yet sincere, an affecting collection of songs sung from the heart, into the darkness, looking for the light.