Holy Pinto’s ‘Congratulations’ is a confident, assured, catchy debut from the Canterbury duo. Aymen Saleh’s shimmery guitar and smooth vocals compliment drummer Ryan Hurley’s strong drumming expertly. This album is the perfect soundtrack to warm summer days with the organ (particularly in ‘Elliot’ and ‘Hospital Room’) and trumpet (‘Matches’) piercing Holy Pinto’s pop songs in a wonderful way.
Saleh’s sugary sweet delivery and strong accent shine through, whilst his guitar playing is complex yet understated. ‘Tooth’ provides the best example of his unique style, a wonderfully angular and jangly riff leads into a massive, pop chorus and it’s testament to Saleh and Hurley’s talent that they manage to combine the two. Holy Pinto do this particularly well, writing great pop hooks whilst retaining their own style.
‘Mexico’ is a lovesick ballad about travelling, Hurley’s intricate drumming a particular highlight, whilst ‘Graduation’ is a short and sweet celebration that anyone who recently had the relief of finishing university will relate to. Holy Pinto can also go dark, as evidenced by the brooding ‘Phantom Limb’, with Saleh shouting “I used to wish you’d come home”. ‘Fairylights’, too, shows a darker side to Holy Pinto and it’s in these moments where we see the breadth of the duo’s talents.
Closer ‘Flowers’ (with hidden track ‘Hospital Pt. 2’) is a chance for Saleh and Hurley to display their distinctive styles, with Saleh’s twiddling guitar complimenting Hurley’s twitchy and shifting drums in a moment of perfect harmony. This album is a strong debut from a young UK band and the production quality (once again Bob Cooper proves he is one of the England’s finest producers) helps Holy Pinto put across their vision in the best way. This record will win over the hearts and minds of many and Holy Pinto have a big year ahead of them. Get on board now.
CONOR MACKIE