SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT – NOT HERE NOT GONE

BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT
NOT HERE NOT GONE
SUICIDE SQUEEZE RECORDS

Blackwater Holylight is a hard rocking trio, originally from Portland, OR, but now based in Los Angeles. The band consists of Allison “Sunny” Faris (guitars, bass and vocals), Eliese Dorsay (drums), and Mikayla Mayhew (guitar). They get some help from former member Sarah McKenna (synthesizer), Camille Getz (violin) and David Sitek (beats on “Giraffe”). Not Here Not Gone is their fourth album, and their first since 2021’s Silence/Motion. It is also their first album as a trio since the departure of McKenna. With Not Here Not Gone, the trio embarks
on an album full of fascinating sonic sounds and landscapes. This is a grinding rock album with elements of shoegaze, rock, and even a little prog. It may seem to be all over the place, but really, it all comes together for a very cohesive and exciting album.

The album opens with the grinding guitars of “How Will You Feel”. It is pretty clear from the get-go that this is not a happy, carefree album. Instead, Blackwater Holylight produced a moody album that takes the listener into some dark corners of the room. The song, as with the rest of the album, is anger tempered with a great deal of sadness. And that is the beauty of it. And the other brilliant thing about Not Here Not Gone is that it is not a ‘grunge’ or ‘punk’ album. Yes, those genres can be heard throughout, but there is so much more.

The droning, beat heavy “Giraffe”, for example, an interesting and far too short instrumental breaks up the album almost midway, turning the corner to present a band who is comfortable with slow, melodic songs that build up. “Void To Be” starts with a single bass, and almost whispering vocals before it launches into its full effect. But it does not explode to heavy grunge, but rather straight-ahead rock. Or a song such as “Fade,” which does exactly that, it fades into a majestic song. Faris’s vocals are brilliant throughout but especially on “Fade.”

The album closes with the brilliant, and my favourite track on the album, “Poppyfields.” The song opens with a slow burning guitar and bass duel with the steady beat from Dorsey. At about two minutes it sounds like the song is finished, but there is still five minutes ahead. They shift gears and close the album with a slower, but still aggressive, gritty rock song. It is a work of art, and it bookends the album perfectly with “How Will You Feel” as the opener.

Not Here Not Gone is an excellent album. Although it falls in the punk-rock-shoegaze genre file, it really is a diverse, exciting album. Blackwater Holylight is an excellent band who are willing to explore and experiment and not stick to one certain sound. They have come up with an album that gets better with each spin on the turntable because there is always something new to discover within the grooves. Not Here Not Gone is also a perfect soundtrack for the chaos in your life and in the world. Put it on, turn it up, and let it grab you.

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