So This Is Great Britain And Welcome Aboard (So This Is Great Britain - Holloways)

Member Name: Andy.mack

Product:	So This Is Great Britain - Holloways
Date:	24/09/07 (69 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A decent debut of catchy tracks

Disadvantages: Won't appeal to many who don't appreciate Indie music

It seems that every time I think the British Indie scene has really peaked the next year a whole new batch of decent bands seems to appear. Towards the end of last year a 4 piece band from North London arrived on the scene determined to be the next big thing. With a bit of luck and a continuation of their current hard work that could be a possibility for The Holloways. The release of this, their debut album on the 30th October last year is certainly the first step towards bigger things. It just seems a shame they haven't had the amount of radio play the singles deserve.

Having met originally back in 2004 in a live music venue on the Holloway Road the band adopted the name and started to make music. With influences seeming to have been taken from just about every Indie band over the last 20 years it stands the album on a good footing. The introduction and mixture of Ska styles and The Levellers strings effects it makes this album into a decent listen for anyone who likes their Indie music. The album probably wont have much appeal outside of Indie fans but I think The Holloways are going to be a band that if they really do hit it big it'll be through the Indie fraternity.

The album has quite a political feel to it, if not just for the name and the title track. The whole album seems to speak of the way British culture is at the moment and gives a very open view on a number of different subjects. There are serious influences from the Clash in all this as well and that seems to be where the band have worked from. It isn't a flawless effort but the album is made up of decent tracks that work well together and seem to suggest there will be more to come from The Holloway's as they work towards future albums.

It is musically quite a catchy record. The Ska influence obviously gives each of the tracks a nice little hook that can make you want to dance along with it. The guitars combine well to really drive the song and combined with the use of strings makes for a really good sound. The drums provide a decent grounding for each of the tracks, with the guitars working well in connection with them. The fast pace of the album is certainly down to the guitar riffs and if the one thing the Holloway's seem to have mastered on this album is creating a song that really hooks the listener.

The vocals work really well and the combination of lead singer Alfie Jackson and guitarist Rob Skipper work really well. It still isn't the finished article and you can tell that both will improve the longer they tour and write new material but the sound is perfect for this album. It's not over produced and the vocals give it a raw edge that would have been lost if they had been too perfect and not left with a natural sound to them. Instead the result is actually really good and it translates the tracks well into the live show as they don't have the luxury of production live so why use too much on the record.

The resulting album is quite an enjoyable way to spend 40 minutes. It has quite a good pace to it and a couple of tracks that really stand out. It is however an album for fans of Indie music and unless The Holloway's lose the plot and follow Preston and The Ordinary Boys path they should make it quie big amongst Britain's Indie fans. Of course the real stand out track on the album is the single that lead to me discovering the band, "Generator".

It has a very purposeful start and straightaway the vocals kick in over the guitars, with some very catchy lyrics that grab your attention. It's a very fast paced track with addictive, memorable lyrics that you just can't seem to help singing along to. This actually is quite an apt description for the whole album. Of course it's not all about the faster paced tracks as "Most Lonely Face" is actually quite a slow touching track about a girl who does anything to survive in London. It's a slow meandering track that really emphasises a different side to Alfie's vocals. It's a touching track with a slow guitar rift and a purposeful drumbeat.

Overall this seems to be a good start to what could be a long and impressive career for The Holloways. I don't expect to see them topping the charts at any point but I think they'll be a band that will build up quite a loyal following that will continue to grow within the Indie community. It isn't the perfect record by any means and will take a little while to get into but for fans of Indie and particularly the likes of The Libertines and The View I think you'll enjoy this album and should at least look out for it.

Amazon: £5.98
Amazon Marketplace: £4.37
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/theholloways

Summary: The Debut album from London's The Holloways