Sometime in the middle of the last decade, THE HOLY SOUL burst out of a beekeeper's shed in the deepest recesses of Outer-Sydney, with their debut album "The Sign Of The Triangle"- a frothing mix of exuberance and dark apathy, dotted with tales of outre-suburban madness and regret. So it is with great delight that ILLUSTRIOUS ARTISTS RECORDINGS COMPANY presents their long-awaited second album, "DAMN YOU, RA". Recorded by guitarist Jon Hunter at his Magnetic Recording Council, what's immediately noticeable is the progression beyond the wounded howl of their debut. The tape machines are still spinning but the recording techniques have engendered a far more majestic noise, check the slow burning build of "I'm Spent" for proof. On this album, THE HOLY SOUL have built an evocative selection of songs that manage to step sideways from mere rockism; the drunken waltz that is "Just Another Day" is a perfect example of a rock n roll group moving beyond, whilst six minute opener/opus "Working On My Soul" stretches the band out into echo-laden exotica, with Trent Marden's powerful vocal driving the whole affair. With help from friends such as Rui Perreira, Loene Carmen and Kym Louise Barton (plus a myriad of extra instrumentation) "DAMN YOU, RA" is a surprisingly lush affair that evokes a constant dark beauty. But at the core of this album is THE HOLY SOULS' ability as a live band to create a joyful noise with the barest of instrumentation. It's always great to see a band strive to move forward yet retain their strength, a sentence that sums up "DAMN YOU, RA" nicely.

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Working On My Soul
2. River
3. I'm Spent
4. Just Another Day
5. Nine Pound Hammer
6. Train
7. I'll Be Back For The Honey
8. That's All
9. I'll Be Drinking Til We Meet Again
10. Rosetta