James Holt - Sanguine on the Rocks

  by Shirley Procter

published: 28 / 4 / 2019

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Review

You know what it’s like. You’re out on a Saturday night having dinner with your best friends, instead of being at a gig somewhere, and the restaurant you’re in has a bloke playing piano. He finishes his gig, and you all chat with him, saying “Thanks, you were good.” the next thing you know you’re chatting about what he does away from the restaurant, and it turns out he’s a singer-songwriter, and he’s giving you his new CD. You carry on chatting for a while, and you agree to review the CD. That was my Saturday evening, and my introduction to the amazing talent that is James Holt. Not only is he a great pianist, but he plays an awesome guitar and sings beautifully! We played his CD all the way home, and I’m sitting listening to it again as I type. Think Style Council meets the Arctic Monkeys, and that’s what I’m listening to. Deep lyrics; good tunes; great guitar playing; a clear talent. Not only has James written the music and lyrics, but he’s also recorded, mixed and produced it. There are six tracks on his CD, 'The Mirror' (this one really makes me think of the Arctic Monkeys - there is something about the beat and quality of the lyrics), the title track 'Sanguine On the Rocks' (interesting guitar riffs, and again great lyrics), 'Tears Aren’t Enough' (a more uptempo number), 'Contemplations' (again, with a great intro riff), 'And Then I Awoke' (a slower, gentler sound that I love, probably my favourite track on the album) and 'The Lost Boy No More' (a song with a much more sombre tone, darker than the track before). You can find James gigging on on the following dates: Friday 16th June: Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery, Blackburn Tuesday 11th July: The Whiskey Jar, Manchester Thursday 27th July: The Alma Inn, Bolton Saturday 29th July: Jimmy’s, Manchester Monday 28th August: Somewhere in Bolton Saturday 9th September: 100 Rum Festival 2017, Manchester. For more information on his gigs, check on his site. the artwork on the album cover deserves a mention, too. It’s quite stunning, and is by Anthony Gabriel Gauci

Track Listing:-

Band Links:-

https://www.jamesholtmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jamesholtmusi
https://twitter.com/jamesholtmusic