Formed right before the great lockdown of 2020, Bristol-based trio Holy Popes eagerly put out their debut self-titled album via Man Demolish Records. Having played their first show the week the pandemic hit, one can imagine how much songwriting inspiration has piled up for them since. Each song turns a simple guitar riff into an earworm groove, then sprinkles some noisy chaos onto it for a raucous result you’ll quickly find yourself involuntarily moving to. Couple that with their indignant resistance to capitalism and patriarchy, and you have the very epitome of post-garage punk.

‘Pencils’ takes a stand against patriarchal masculinity and the general standard of men having to mask their emotions in relationships. The jarring guitar, piercing dissonance, and grating vocals of the main hook capture that internalized frustration filling to the rim. Warping pedal effects open ‘Medic’ alongside lo-fi drums, making the sudden bass line all the more satisfying when the sound quality shifts. The groove has a pulsing feel that drives the song’s medical theme home and grows more intense as the song progresses.

 

 

While the album gets a little predictable with the formula not switching up much, it’s clear Holy Popes are skilled in the style they do. They know how to make the half-sung, half-spoken vocals work successfully with the instrumentation in a way that increases their appeal. In ‘DBT’, the vocals and swirling screeches of the guitar blend so well it almost sounds like they’re both coming from a single source. In ‘Split Lip’, they follow each other rhythmically with the wailing riffs accentuating the gritty yells tenfold. On the contrary, the detuned flute that starts and ends the record adds a calm, yet somewhat eerie mood to pull you in and out of the ride.

 

Every song on Holy Popes takes a straightforward in-your-face approach with their punk lyricism and abrasive delivery. They somehow jerk back and forth between headbanging rackets and smooth toe-tappers seamlessly, making for a relieving experience in multiple forms. With the lockdown behind them and their debut album release in front, they may have a lot on the horizon if they keep unapologetically showing who they are.

 

Buy the album here:

https://mandemolishrecords.bandcamp.com

 

7 / 10

COLLEEN KANOWSKY