SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ERIC CANNATA – HOLDING ONTO THE HOLY

ERIC CANNATA
HOLDING ONTO THE HOLY
INDEPENDENT

Eric Cannata is known for being the songwriter, guitarist, and producer for indie rock band Young The Giant, who had several hit songs in the 2010s, most notably “Cough Syrup”, “My Body”, and “Mind Over Matter”. In 2020, Cannata first ventured into the solo world, releasing the EP Lonely Beast. His latest release, Holding Onto The Holy, is his first full-length solo record.

Holding Onto The Holy allows Cannata to experiment with different dynamics, styles, and textures. Sometimes, musicians known for being in a popular band will occasionally play it safe when they do something solo. This is not the case for Cannata’s Holding Onto The Holy. There are some hints of Young The Giant in these tracks, but for the most part, they are their own thing. The dazzlingly entertaining and bouncy “Fruit” is an excellent example of this. It is abundantly clear that Cannata is having loads of fun exploring sonic boundaries with this song. His vocal work is superb. It has some groovy guitar riffs. The instrumental break is captivatingly interesting and has lots of riveting stuff happening. Another example is “There You Go Again”, which sees Cannata channeling some of his Young The Giant roots but giving it a bit of a 70s rock and pop spin.

Cannata’s solo album is filled with many memorable and intriguing guitar solos. They might not be super technical or flashy, but they are still very impressive and add so much substance to the tracks. Highlights include the fuzzy guitar solo in “Like You Do” and the vibrant psychedelic-like guitar solo in “Holding Onto The Holy”.

Cannata collaborated with some people very close to him on this record. Ernie Cannata, his father, plays piano/keys on some songs and his wife Hannah Connolly co-wrote and sings on a few tracks. Working with family makes the album feel more personable and listeners can tell that the songs come deep from the heart. “Over & Over” and “Like You Do” exemplify these things greatly.

Eric Cannata’s Holding Onto The Holy is a solid solo album. Fans of Young The Giant will surely enjoy it, and it is nice to see Cannata grow as a musician.

SPILL FEATURE: DOING A SOLO ALBUM WAS A FUN EXPLORATION OF MY VOICE – A CONVERSATION WITH ERIC CANNATA

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