Post by jptheprofessor on Mar 11, 2007 23:17:14 GMT -5
HOLIS – HOLIS (no label) Their name derived from the word holistic, the Harrisburg area-based group Holis demonstrates a musical wholeness and a soul-stirring brand of melody-geared rock on their self-titled debut disc. Holis offers ten tracks of well-crafted, developed and polished melodies; fleshed out by full and powerful arrangements. Christian McGinty’s keys, Frank Mistretta’s acoustic and Fred Pellegrini’s electric guitar flavors blend, layer and weave around one another to serve and embrace each melody; with bassist Jeremy White’s and drummer Ken Reiner’s lean and efficient rhythms fueling the sound without overdriving it. This provides the broad sonic tapestries for singer Ray Zeiters’ expressive and soulful voice to sell lyrical themes of hope, love, spirituality and life’s lessons. Although every song here is strong, several especially shine above and beyond: “Song of the Sage” with a passionate, gospel-informed bridge chorus that propels it to a rousing crescendo; the poignant “Ignorance,” addressing insensitivity towards the homeless; “Forsaken” with its theme of staying the course; the pointed and stern “Your Loss;” the surging “Just One,” about reassessing one’s beliefs; and the upbeat and hopeful “The Distance.” Holis also shows a slight rural touch on “Mississippi Blue,” accented by Fred’s harmonica and guest Bret Alexander’s mandolin and dobro. Produced by Fred and the band, Holis sounds clear, full and developed; each song effectively fleshed out, and the album tying comfortably together into a smooth and cohesive whole. The performances are inspired, and the arrangements allow the songs to breathe and build towards spirited peaks. Their dedication to serving the songs and sweating the details makes Holis’ debut disc a very impressive one; a consistent, soul-stirring and constantly rewarding listen well worth checking out. (To obtain the album, visit Holis’ website, www.holismusic.com.)