The Glorious Revolution

Grey Holiday’s home base may be Austin, Texas, but the Christian pop/rock quartet’s music doesn’t betray much of a Lone Star twang. The Glorious Revolution (2007), their debut release, carries a strong hint of British influence in its high melodic reach and instrumental embroidery. The staccato guitar pulse of “Where You Want Me” suggests the Cure in their early phase, while the piano-centered “Low” contains echoes of Coldplay (with a little Supertramp thrown in). The band tries out these and other motifs with youthful energy and spiritual idealism. Lead singer Matt Minor drops to a whisper as often as he reaches for a dramatic note, and his sense of dynamics is particularly evident on “Let Go.” Lyrically, Grey Holiday contrasts the world’s false illusions (“Revolution,””Let Go”) with an exalted sense of purpose (“Where You Want Me”). The Glorious Revolution gives the impression that Grey Holiday is still in the process of developing its sound. Judging by their sources of inspiration (both musical and spiritual), there’s solid hope of even more fully-defined work from these talented Texans in the future.