THE HOLY KNIVES – I Don’t Wanna Win EP

On their 2018 full length ‘Year Of The Dog’, rock duo The Holy Knives shared some very full sounding, atmospheric songs. The material had a definite core sound: bits of melodic garage rock could be found meshing with even older influences, resulting in tunes like ‘Memory Book’ sharing a huge vocal against a hefty drum beat, ‘Loose Tooth’ working a wobbly twang against a massive croon, taking a little more of an atmospheric indie rock stance and, in an unexpected twist, ‘Lucky Day’ sounded like an old Chris Isaak number remixed by Portishead man Geoff Barrow. It was the kind of record that set solid foundations for future works.

On their 2020 EP ‘Always Gone’, the cinematic elements of the Holy Knives sound used keys to create something even more retro, and by the time of their 2023 single release ‘Keep On Lyin’, even more of a groove had been established, showing how even though this duo had a sound that worked for them, Kyle and Kody Valentine certainly weren’t shy of embracing a natural musical progression.

The four songs that make up their 2024 EP ‘I Don’t Wanna Win’ represent some of the best Holy Knives tunes to date. Produced by The Kills’ Jamie Hince, the material comes with a bigger sound; from the opening strums of ‘Killer’, the band sounds more sinister than ever before, and even when a familiar voice puts in an appearance, the melodies being worked – along with the production bringing out a much louder guitar – capture a moodiness that aims for a sonic unease. A huge chorus allows for an even bigger vocal, and also presents plucked sounds lurking beneath the bigger chords. The second verse introduces busier drum loops which sit brilliantly beneath an escalating vocal and, eventually, some heavily manipulated keys lend the feeling of everything being swamped by arcs of guitar feedback. The way this number builds feels very natural, but is ultimately epic. It takes some of the older Holy Knives traits and gives them a real feeling of force, and the result – falling very naturally between something from the Nick Cave catalogue and Elbow’s ‘Grounds For Divorce’ – gives this EP a very stronge opener.

By reworking some by now familiar drum loops against a broad vocal, ‘Damned’ doesn’t really bring anything new to the Holy Knives catalogue, but this sidestep into a slightly harder mood brings a track with its own charm. The vocal, in particular, is impressive in the way that the end of each line adds a deep curl, before a rise into a bigger sound introduces broad notes. More importantly, the chorus is home to a great melody where contrasting deep and falsetto vocals bring more theatrics, while brassy blasts from angry keys lend an oppressive sound that compliments the vocal brilliantly. For extant fans, this meaty sounding number will be an instant favourite, whilst ‘Let Me Rest’ shares something with more of a slow burning feel, with sparse piano chords and a dominant vocal drawing influence from Peter Alexander Jobson’s thoughtful works. An off-kilter drum loop does its very best to upend the melody throughout, but thanks to a dour tone and confident air, there’s enough within the vocal alone to make the track work. It’s a little artier than a lot of past Holy Knives works, perhaps, but you could never accuse these guys of playing safely.

In closing, ‘Manipulator’ is, in many ways, this EP’s most accessible number. It presents a world of deep drones against a steady beat, before reintroducing the brassy blasts as per ‘Damned’, giving a feeling of things coming full circle. The deeper sound, however, ensures this doesn’t feel like a simple retread of previous ideas, and there’s even something in its cinematic approach that feels inspired by ‘Play’ era Moby, to the point where its only the vocal that makes this recognisable as a Holy Knives piece. A couple of plays in, and the repetitive melody and chorus hook deliver the biggest earworm of the whole release – it is very much the kind of radio friendly hook that would bring new fans to the fold, even if the general tone doesn’t immediately scream “hit”. All of the tracks here bring a solid amount of entertainment value, but this makes the EP worth the price of a download.

Although a little more tougher around the edges than some past Holy Knives works, ‘I Don’t Wanna Win’ sounds almost exactly like you’d expect from something produced by Hince and featuring the Valentine Brothers in full flow. For those who’ve followed the musical progress of The Holy Knives since 2018 this EP will represent another great (if short) listen, and for those coming in cold, the harder edges will actually supply something a little more immediate, making it an all round winner. ‘Killer’ and ‘Manipulator’ are superb, but all four tracks have a huge musical charm and work well together, sounding ready to take the Valentine Brothers’ moody sound further into the indie rock mainstream. Recommended.

December 2024