Powered by impassioned vocals, soaring guitars and a rhythmic pulse that remains strong at its core, the new album from Melbourne’s HAVE/HOLD presents itself as a fitting snapshot of the band today: reinvigorated, wide-eyed and raring to thrive.
WE ARE A GHOST NOW, YOU & I - as a sophomore album - stirs instantly. There is a sense of yearning and desire within the lyrics, while musically, the band inject intense emotion into each riff, progression and melody. Have/Hold’s sound has been refined over the last two years of touring, writing and laying down new ideas; the development of their creative output shines with this record. Emerging triumphant from their studio sessions last year, Have/Hold have rewritten their own rule book and in We Are A Ghost Now, You & I they stand strong behind some powerful moments of music that flits easily between the indie and post rock worlds.
Engineered and mixed out of The Aviary, Newmarket and Woodstock Studios in Melbourne, We Are A Ghost… has the touch of Greg Rietwyk, Simon Cotter and Charlie Mann threaded throughout. Continuing to oscillate between the almost melodic hardcore, and the smoother pace of indie rock, the way the album has been produced and mixed makes each transition seamless. “We wanted this record to sound a lot more live and visceral than the last. Not in an angry and energetic sense, the songs themselves aren’t necessarily like that; but like you’re listening to the parts breathing and bleeding and melting into one big noise in the same room as you. Greg Rietwyk really understood what we were trying to achieve and did an awesome job of capturing it. The layout of the rooms at Woodstock Studios was the perfect environment.” Have/Hold
As with previous Have/Hold releases, the band shows that they are unafraid of plunging themselves into moments on increased tension and drama. ‘Pictures of the Seventies’, ‘Lighthousekeeping’ and lead single, ‘Keepsake’, are all examples of the almost Radiohead-esque tones Have/Hold flourish on record. Vocalist Luke Shields wails as if his heart is aching, sounding like a fusion of Jeff Buckley and La Dispute’s Jordan Dreyer. Captivating, emotionally-wrecking, Shields sings and leads from the heart with confidence. “‘Keepsake’ is by far the song that took the longest to gestate. It’s the simplest song as far as parts and structure goes, but we really had to wrestle with it to get it to behave and sit well in amongst the other songs. We originally wrote ‘Keepsake’ as a cold opener, an overture to the main body of the album, but it became a lot more than that. It almost has a little bag of tricks of its own and people seem to respond well to its simplicity and assertiveness.” Luke Shields
Perfectly demonstrated on album track ‘Dear Sun’, Have/Hold’s way of traversing sonic territory laden with heavy emotion and layered instrumentation is one that is irresistible to watch and listen to, as a music fan. Pouring their all into the delivery of earnest, emotionally-wracking lyricism, Have/Hold’s weighted musicianship is highlighted at various points on We Are A Ghost…, as this video for ‘Dear Sun’ proves.
Ready to take this new album to the next level live, Have/Hold will be holding a special album launch party in Melbourne to celebrate, supported by Grand Pine and Romeo Moon, before hitting the road for an extensive album tour in the New Year.
HAVE/HOLD ‘WE ARE A GHOST NOW, YOU & I’ TOUR DATES
Saturday 3rd November Brunswick Mechanics Institute Melbourne
with Grand Pine, Romeo Moon
Tickets
Friday 4th January Crown & Anchor Hotel Adelaide
Saturday 5th January The Gasometer Melbourne
Thursday 10th January The Brisbane Hotel Hobart
Friday 11th January The Gunners Arms Launceston
Saturday 19th January Bloodhound Bar Brisbane
Thursday 24th January Rad Bar Wollongong
Friday 25th January The Hamilton Station Hotel Newcastle
Sunday 27th January The Phoenix Bar Canberra