Gotta see a man about some “Transparent Powers“…Multi-instrumentalist Emil Amos has lent his hand to some amazing projects thru the years, having been a founding member of Grails and Lilacs & Champagne, as well as a drummer since 2008 in the amazing doom rock outfit OM. Heck, the guy’s even played drums with the outsider musician Jandek, after a chance meeting at a Portland record store lead him to sign a contract for a one-off live show, even though, at the time of the signing, the “mystery” musician was still unnamed, due to the secrecy of the gig!
Holy Sons, then, is Amos’ most personal vehicle of musical expression, and it reveals his expansive song writing talents, as well as his long standing interest in the process of home recording. The Fact Facer LP, out now, is Holy Sons’ first release for the Chicago label Thrill Jockey, and it contains this whiskey-soaked and psychedelic-leaning track, “Transparent Powers”. Amos’ varied sonic interests come together here to create a simmering cinematic ambiance, to which he adds a rich and singular vocal delivery. While the musician might be known more publicly for his drumming, this track is built around the crepuscular blues of his guitar, and this evocative melodic element is tempered by shivers of guitar noise, which running almost rhythmically thru the length of the track, seem to act as it’s eery anchor.
The video for the cut is directed by Conor Lamb, with filmic, introspective cinematography from Jessica Bennett, and it uses Amos’ vaguely occult musings to lead the way in this mysterious, supernatural thriller. Holy Sons are currently on a short tour, playing select shows in Canada, the Northeast, and Midwest, so here are those dates:
Mon Nov 10 Toronto, ON – Smiling Buddah
Tue Nov 11 Detroit, MI – Trinosophes
Wed Nov 12 Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen
Thu Nov 13 Columbus, OH – Double Happiness
Fri Nov 14 Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
Sat Nov 15 Brooklyn, NY – Union Pool
