All of My Bodies – Holy Hum
Release Date: October 6th, 2017
Track Listing:
1. All Of My Bodies
2. Yoo Duk Lee
3. Flower In The Snow
4. Heavy Lark
5. Sex At 31
6. Joseph Pt. 2
7. White Buzz
8. Sun Breaking
9. Ready To Have It
10. Space and Time
11. Mellotron Doom
Vancouver’s Andrew Lee, under the project title Holy Hum, has created a haunting and mesmerizing ambient release in his debut LP, All of My Bodies. The album explores different genres and tones and is unlike almost any album I’ve heard before. It is an exceptionally distinct, memorable, and powerful listen, engulfing the listener completely on every track.
The music is ethereal and enchanting, with the tracks a mix of instrumental short pieces and longer epic ballads. Some of these songs are little more than vocals and an acoustic guitar, or a violin solo: others are complex arrangements of many instruments. It begins with a long, eerie, cacophonous fade-in settling on a beautiful loop in the title track; a reverbing lament of losing someone and the uncertain feeling of what comes after. This sets the tone for the next fifty-three minutes of raw symphony. The songs vary in length anywhere from a minute to twelve, but the album seems to flow as a single entity. This album is part soundtrack, part memory, part emotional journey, and part intensive musical endeavour. In keeping with his name, there are many “hums” and chants throughout this album, adding another layer of mesmerization.
It is a poignant and emotional concept album of love, grief and loss, dealing with a very difficult time. All Of My Bodies is a memory and tribute to Lee’s deceased father, whom is depicted on the album cover. This is an album that warrants repeat listenings to fully understand and appreciate: its seductive, hypnotizing tone may cause the listener to miss many of the lyrics and themes the first way through. It is clear that a lot of labour, both physically and emotionally, was needed to create this piece—and the results are truly special.
Holy Hum’s music is captivating and very hypnotizing. His solo work incorporates a wide variety of instruments, time signatures, and loops – a labour of love and devotion. The music engulfed my ears in a way that many full bands never do, let alone the work of one person. The epic “White Buzz” is a highlight of the album, peaking at the centre at almost a full 12 minutes in length. A lot of emotion is channeled in both the vocals and riff, a symphonic blend of wails, violins, backing chants, and looping reminiscent of a long Pink Floyd song. It is climactic and perhaps the finest track on All of My Bodies.
“Mellotron Doom” is a beautiful loop and finale to the LP. Booming sounds echo as Lee sings a sad goodbye to his father, with a touch of hope. It is a powerful conclusion, as the album ends on a repeated chant of “Hallelujah” and a delicate violin fade.
All of My Bodies left me blown away and reflective upon finishing each listen. It goes deep into the listener’s mind and seems to encompass all of your senses – something rarely found in albums, especially a debut. As an ambient release, it is a stellar example: as a local release, it is one of the finest Vancouver albums of 2017. I look forward to seeing what’s next from Holy Hum, and highly recommend this release.
I’m playing a show with some amazing local bands on April 6th at the Toast Collective in Vancouver. Holy Hum! Wallgrin! Prophecy Sun!
I wrote a show description for it that’s basically a choose your own adventure book, and the local radio station CITR made an ad with it and I love it.
