Holy Fuck are battlers. In late 2008 they were named as one of the reasons for the abolition of PromArt, a $4.7m initiative by the Canadian government to promote their country's culture internationally. Gutted, but not sufficiently discouraged, they powered on with their defiant name and sound to announce their new album earlier this year.
Latin starts with a very post-rock build that denies you a crescendo, short-changing you with some squirrelly delay before trampling your eardrums with 'Red Lights'. First single 'Latin America' follows, and here they show their true Faust-on-steroids colours. The signature keys-driven, percussive propulsion is no longer naggingly insistent: instead it flattens you wth strident, stomping resolve. It's no surprise HF led with this; it's Krautrock taken to its logical, pop-perfect conclusion.
Thankfully HF don't make the mistake of indulging too heavily in the Krautrock necrophilia that's currently in vogue. Besides their obvious pop smarts and bristling virtuosity, there are a number of things that set them apart. Tracks like 'Sht Mtn' mangle a femal monologue, casting a decidedly creepy light over a prickly harmonic guitar workout. 'Stillettos' conjures visions of a heavenly kosmische roller-disco.
Latin reveals a more aggressive and refined band. It sounds like they've processed the gloriously scuzzy jams of their 2007 LP through some kind of Talking Heads/Funkadelic transmogrifier. It's a testament to them that this newfound funk isn't a bad thing.
The record is enormously inventive given how worn its source material is. Listening to it at full tilt will make you feel like cocaine has been rendered redundant as a recreational drug.
published in The Brag on 07/06/10
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