Holy Wave - Five of Cups
Hello and welcome back! I apologize for leaving you few readers in the dust since January 15th. Starting school again threw me off balance, but I am back. The template for these writings may change a bit as I am trying to find the best format to get them out weekly. I am reaching toward stability though! Thank you for all the support.
Five of Cups (August 4, 2023)
Five of Cups - Holy Wave
2023 was a great year for music. I don’t mean to dwell in the past, but today’s record, Five of Cups by Holy Wave, is one of the best releases to emerge from the past year. What initially started as a recommendation from my older sister’s boyfriend has led to this album becoming one of my favorites for the year and a new band to obsess over.
Holy Wave is a rock band from Austin, Texas, consisting of childhood friends Ryan Fuson, Joey Cook, Kyle Hager, and Julian Ruiz. Growing up in El Paso, the four friends traveled through Texas to check out different bands and the local DIY music scene. Through this, they found new ways to experiment with their music and create their own specific sound. The band is best known for their blend of psychedelic and indie rock with touches of dream pop. When mixed, we get a colorful and vibrant indie-rock sound similar to the works of musicians like Tame Impala, Crumb, MGMT and the Beatles.
Their newest album and today’s pick, Five of Cups, showcases the band's growth in sound. With a career spanning over a decade, 1 EP, and 7 albums, any listener can hear the progression within their releases. At 9 tracks running just over 40 minutes, Five of Cups is a dynamic journey from start to finish. Holy Wave starts the album with a heavily distorted guitar and synth, producing a dreamy - and almost futuristic - sound. As we move through the first half of the album with songs “Five of Cups,” “Bog Song,” “Chaparral,” and “Path of Least Resistance,” the band flips back and forth between the grungy distorted sound and the dreamy indie-pop sound. The second half is a bit more laid-back, but still utilizes the distorted guitar and synth to carry that signature Holy Wave sound.
One of my favorite things about this record is how many different sounds they utilize to complete each song. The samples of footsteps, the heavy distortion used to end and begin some tracks, and the use of bells/mallets all come together to create a visual experience for the listener. It is nearly impossible to listen to this album without seeing and feeling the color and imagery Holy Wave creates through each song. The addition of featured artists like Estrella del Sol and Lorelle Meets the Obsolete changed the record completely as well. Any listener can hear the band’s intent to create an auditory masterpiece by pressing play on track 1.
Essential Tracks
Although I recommend the album in its entirety, I understand we all have busy lives. Here are some highlight tracks I think are crucial to check out if you can not fit the entire album in. All four included below showcase Holy Wave’s talent and the true expert behind Five of Cups.