Holding Absence – ‘Holding Absence’

Holding Absence is set to release their self-titled album on March 8, 2019 via SharpTone Records, and you do not want to miss out. This record brings a healthy mix of songs that will make you cry and songs that will make you feel inherently more aggressive. If you’re anything like me, that’s a damn good album.

The Cardiff, U.K. natives have graced us with four singles from this record so far: “Perish,” “Like a Shadow,” “You are Everything,” and “Monochrome.” If you haven’t already listened through those, I highly recommend doing so ASAP. These songs give an accurate depiction of what the rest of the record is, and does a great job highlighting what I loved throughout this release.

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As per the style of reviewing that I tend to gravitate toward, I’m going to ramble on about some of my favorite tracks now. Cool? Cool.

The album opens with “Perish,” and as a first-time listener of this band I knew I was in for a treat right off the bat. The gradual buildup of this song made me feel actual butterflies, and I wasn’t disappointed by the in-your-face instrumentals that came at its peak. Frontman Lucas Woodland’s vocals on this track, and throughout the entirety of the album, are absolutely incredible.

The second track, “Your Love Has Ruined My Life,” is at a tie for my favorite off this release. The overall feel of the song just grabs hold of something inside me and I can’t help but to feel everything that went into creating it. It is home to my favorite lyric on the album: “will I ever heal, I just don’t know, but without you the open world feels so closed.”

The drums on “Like a Shadow” make my drum-nerd heart fill right up. My personal thanks to the drummer, Ashley Green, for that one. I also have to point out how beautifully this entire record was mixed and mastered. I cannot get enough of the reverb. This song definitely is a highlight for me.

If you’re looking for some visuals, the music video for “Monochrome” is fantastic. My notes on this one read: “dreamy harmonies- this song is a f***ing HIT”. I think that pretty much sums it up, don’t you?

If you know me at all, you know how annoyingly obsessed I am with cool-tone guitar. That, paired with the bass tone in “A Godsend,” make me want to just close my eyes and forget about everything other than this track. What an absolutely beautiful song.

Of course, I have one song that makes me want to yell about how much I love it. This wouldn’t be a review by me if there wasn’t, right? The closing track, “Wilt,” is six minutes and 38 seconds of pure MAGIC. As what seems to be the usual fashion for Holding Absence, the buildup on this one is stunning. The drum mix makes my ears perk up, and as is the trend throughout the whole album, Woodland’s vocals are simply incredible.

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To wrap this roller coaster of a review up, all I can do is recommend you listen for yourself to the already pre-released singles, and then experience the whole project on March 8^th. Holding Absence makes music that is refreshing, and I don’t think you want to miss out on the hype-wave they are about to ride.

Catch Holding Absence on tour this March in the U.K. with special guests Luke Rainsford and The Nightmares.

Thanks for reading, and as always, I’m down to chat anytime on my socials! Everything is linked below. Have a great day!

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