HOLY FUCK - Latin

I love swearing. Call it juvenile, call it reactionary, call it simplistic, but there's a joy, silliness, and release that comes from a good cuss word that can't be found anywhere else. And yet, despite this cozy relationship with blue words, I've had little room in my heart up until now for Holy Fuck. The blunt obviousness of the name could actually shoulder some of the blame, but that hasn't stopped me from loving Fucked Up. Nay, the real issue has been a search for the resonant core to the band's music. This Canuck quartet come complete with an enviable premise in tow—an analogue/real time take on electronic music—and in a live setting, the success of their hybrid is clear. It's loud, relentlessly groovy and quivering with creative and kinetic energy. But the same in-your-face-ness of their live sound always came off a little ham-fisted on album. After the admittedly strong, sweaty first impression, there was little in the way of hooks or memorable moments to bring you back.

Latin isn't a complete reinvention of Holy Fuck's sound—previous album LP's first single "Lovely Allen" was an excellent example of how well this band can combine chaos, rhythm and a tune—but it does take the foot off the gas just long enough in key places to allow the band to set up stronger moods, melodies and pacing. By allowing themselves a moment or two more to breathe in and reflect, suddenly the bursts of energy and noise have so much further to go when they appear. It's a tough thing to explain farther than that (and hey, maybe I'm just warming up to them myself), but everything about Latin is sharper, smarter, and more tastefully presented than anything they have done before. That's not to say that this is a conventional record—it's just an example of a great live band coming closer and closer to making a great record as well. There are still higher peaks for Holy Fuck to climb, but this is their tallest summit yet.