Suburban
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Two decades in to a music career David Holmes is still reinventing his music and keeping things fresh. Unloved is his latest project, created in Los Angeles in collaboration with the composer Keefus Ciancia and the songwriter and vocalist Jade Vincent.

Ciancia and Holmes's paths crossed on soundtracks for Good Vibrations and The Fall, and in 2013 when Ciancia and Vincent had started a regular Tuesday night residency in Los Feliz called The Rotary Room, Holmes was invited to DJ between the live acts. These acts were made up of some fine LA session musicians who had played with the likes of T Bone Burnett, Beck and John Cale, to name a select few, and shortly afterwards the seeds of Unloved were sown. During recording the list of guest contributors grew to include Jim Keltner (John Lennon, Ry Cooder), Wayne Kramer (MC5) and Tommy Morgan, who played harmonica on the original 'Good Vibrations'.

The spirit of Sixties girl groups and expansive Morricone-esque soundtracks have influenced them to a great degree, but so has haunted electronica, and the likes of Broadcast have been mentioned in many reviews. Unloved is into Raymond Scott as much as Phil Spector, I reckon.

Amongst all this name-dropping and cultural references they have remembered to write some decent tunes. 'Guilty of Love' is the opening track and probably the true solid gold classic in the set, a tune we will be hearing years into the future.

'When A Woman Is Around' is another killer tune, like an updated Shangri-Las, Jade's world weary lead vocal contrasting beautifully with the chorus of backing singers, a tactic which also works on the catchy ear-worm 'Damned'.

The musical influences collide to great effect on 'I Could Tell You But I'd have to Kill You' which harks back to Holmes's first few albums with its beats and sinister electronica, and manages to seamlessly combine the reverbed female vocals within the mix. Closing track 'Forever Unloved' manages to be both creepy and beautiful at the same time.

Overall Guilty of Love works well as an ensemble recording, so it's appropriate that they have gone under a fresh band name, and it's not a case of 'David Holmes presents..' or a new 'Jade Vincent Experiment' or whatever. This record was a long time coming, and I'm not sure if Unloved would ever get around to making another one, but if they do they can take their time, as there is plenty to love and explore here.