Holy Fuck
Deleter
Release Date: Jan 17, 2020
Genre(s): Pop/Rock
Record label: Forced Exposure
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Album Review: Deleter by Holy Fuck
Great, Based on 4 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
Toronto electro-rock group Holy Fuck have managed to hone their junk shop aesthetic into a surprisingly coherent form of warped pop music. Following the excellent 2016 full-length Congrats and the more dance-oriented companion EP Bird Brains, the band sharpen their focus even further on 2020's Deleter. Like their previous albums, this one was born from impromptu jams and sketches at rehearsals and soundchecks.
Based on rating 4
Four years since their previous record Congrats, Holy Fuck are back with another record of distorted, punky electronica. On Deleter the Toronto outfit are joined by Pond's Nick Allbrook, Liars' Angus Andrew and Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor, the latter appearing on lead single Luxe, and some of the other tracks also feature heavily processed lyrics from the band themselves. Luxe is also the opening track, arpeggiated synth bloops and ticking hi-hats underpinning Taylor's plaintive vocals ("I'd like to scrap all of this / and start over again") before elements start building and swirling into a climactic finish.
Based on rating 7.5/10
If you first discovered Holy Fuck at the outset, skipped a couple records, and then came back around 2016's Congrats, it'd be a bit like watching the first season of Mr. Robot and then jumping ahead to the series finale to see how it ended. Sure, there's a resemblance between the beginning and ending--in character(s), style, and tone--but you'd likely wonder how in the hell they got from there to here.
Based on rating 7/10
Holy Fuck's biggest strength has always been their ability to turn reckless abandon into dance floor catharsis. Their best work embraces unpredictability and an unbridled experimental spirit; after all, this is a group whose own mandate has been to create electronic music without electronics. Deleter finds the band recruiting guests like Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor to help deliver an energetic and danceable record. However, it lacks the urgency of their strongest material. Holy Fuck have always used their live band setup well, and Deleter ….
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