Holy Ghost – Static On The Wire

1. Static On The Wire
2. Say My Name
3. I Will Come Back
4. I Know I Hear

‘Static on the Wire’ is a nice collection of four original songs, altogether over 25 minutes of music. Remember, this is a DJ duo that until 2 weeks ago had never played with a live band. So of course their songs are going to be longer than the stuff you hear on radio. We’ve been programmed by mainstream radio format to only accept songs in the 2- to 3-minute range, but this EP is a good reason to forget old habits. Just give yourself over to the rhythm and dance. Frankel and Millhiser have been in the DJ business long enough to recognise what gets bodies moving. For the most part, the beats on these tracks are so ace, you cannot use the excuse of ‘oh, I can’t make it to a club’ – no, do yourself a favour and use them on your next workout.

The best of the bunch is ‘I Will Come Back’; on this one in particular, you can see why they and Friendly Fires are mates. Stunning piece of work. The title track, ‘Static on the Wire’, is another earworm for you to boogie to. Don’t confuse ‘Say My Name’ with the Destiny’s Child song of the same name; it comes with sparse instrumentation and tentative beats and lyrics. It’s the only disappointment on the EP, sounding otherworldly and maybe that’s why I find it the least warm of the four selections. The last track of the EP, ‘I Know, I Hear’, has lyrics sung in a vibe similar to Gorillaz’s ‘Stylo’, which I find very interesting (purely coincidental?). Let me know if you agree.

There is a definite nod to the ‘80s, the golden age of synthesisers, pervading the entire EP. That to me is an excellent thing; the best dance music has wicked beats and singalong lyrics to make you forget what’s outside that club. Getting people onto a dancefloor is all about creating atmosphere, and Holy Ghost! have done that with this debut EP. If the beats don’t get you up on your feet and into the club mindset, there is definitely something wrong with you...www.theregoesthefear.com