For his sophomore album, Holloway Nights, Drew Davies made of the night his associate. Review of this impactful collaboration’s result.
HOLLOWAY NIGHTS – DREW DAVIES
The neon flutters and hums in the dark. The city is almost empty. It’s the only light in the street, attracting the lonely wonderer like a magnet. And then the neon bursts. That’s the image I get from The Bitter End and its electro arrangements. They match perfectly with his deep and troubling vocals and the powerful and ever-growing guitars. It’s a rare kind of introduction, with an infinite replay potential. But, it’d be unfair on Drew Davies to stop here. His sophomore album, Holloway Nights has a lot to offer.
This urban nocturnal universe, enlightened by a Cyberpunk 2077 neon, stretches on. And the marriage between epic rock and electro is a success, tickling the ear with wholesome epic moments (The Comeback, Codename: Softboi). The night is young, and our lonely main character goes on the road with romantic (You’re The Only One) and sexy (Bad Girl) undertones. He’ll stop for a psychedelic and timeless instant on Holloway Nights, and for another, a lot firmer, in a night-beasts crowded street – Heavy Manners.
After this intense moment, the artist proposes the bitter and grieving ballad Should Have Known Better, filled with regrets and pain. Ending it all, the album plays In The Name, a prayer in the night left on electric shards, contrasting with its soft intro. Again, guitars and synths are working together and spark the magic. Drew Davies had highs and lows that really pushed his songwriting further in the fascinating Holloway Nights, bringing the night to the middle of the day. The neon flutters, turns back on, and hums.