Holes In the Wall

Album Review

The idea of two English late-teenage brothers in a band together may conjure up thoughts of Oasis via Silverchair, but Holes in the Wall, Alex and Tom White's debut album as the Electric Soft Parade, is a surprisingly assured album. Like Oasis and Silverchair, the Electric Soft Parade proudly wear their musical influences on their sleeves, as Holes in the Wall reveals intimations of bands like Ash, Grandaddy, and Teenage Fanclub. While Holes in the Wall veers more toward indie and psychedelic rock as opposed to the more straightforward power pop of contemporaries Weezer and Sloan, one of the album's greatest virtues is its memorable melodies, as exemplified in the catchy choruses of songs like "Empty at the End" and "Silent to the Dark." The White brothers also have ear-catching production on their side, giving their album true flavor by infusing it with splashes of electronics and keyboards, psychedelic swirl, and the occasional irregular time signature. The ESP have certainly proved that they can rock (embodied by "There's a Silence"), but most of their slower songs and ballads seem a step behind the rest of the album. Despite a thrilling first half, Holes in the Wall does lose some of its steam in the back end. Still, the Electric Soft Parade have produced a fine debut that should place them firmly in the midst of the post-Brit-pop musical landscape, a scene that they have the potential to shape as they mature.