This one comes recommended from a friend. Admittedly, it’s been sitting in my inbox for a few days. It just sorta slipped my mind, thanks to some unscheduled busy-ness, as well as a few degrees of procrastination. But that same friend reminded me of it last night, seeking my opinion, which of course, I didn’t have, because I didn’t listen to it … yet. So in an effort to bring things up to speed, I decided to give it a spin and see what’s what.
The track’s titled “Ramses The Evil Brother,” and it’s a surprisingly energetic blast of indie power-pop … or rock … either one fits the bill. It steps out of the gate quickly, full-tilt and frenetic, zipping ahead with an effortless haste that never feels rushed. Still, it’s definitely a fast one, dense with instrumental fillings … and it only gets fuller and fiercer as it rolls along. It almost feels progressively punk, or post-punk, if you prefer. That would account for the string bits, played with matching rapid-fire intensity. Still, the whole affair is infectiously listenable.
“Ramses The Evil Brother” comes from the Finnish five-piece The Holy, who’ve got a knack for this blistering brand of aural exhilaration. I’ve heard this garners them a lot of comparisons to Arcade Fire, which is cool. But I think I like these guys a little better, at least on repeated listens. They’re not quite as all over the map as their peers, even if they share similar sensibilities. Of course, time will tell, as they’ve only recently released their debut album, “Daughter,” which this particular track doesn’t come from. It’s from the more abstractly titled 2016 EP “More Escher and Random Notes.”
On a side note, I’m not entirely sure if “Ramses The Evil Brother” has any biblical intentions, or is steeped in Egyptological origins, as it’s title might suggest. Perhaps, it’s all metaphor, as these things tend to be. But it does count me curious. Plus, given its raucous propulsive rhythmic power drive, it just seems like an odd juxtaposition of sound and meaning, suggested or otherwise.
Whatever the case, I’m certainly pleased that The Holy’s blistery rhythmic barnstormer “Ramses The Evil Brother” has found its way into my world. On that note, I’ll leave you with the music video, complete with dancing in reverse. Enjoy!
And of course, the Spotify embed …
“Ramses the Evil Brother” from the 2016 EP “More Escher and Random Notes.”
