David Holmes - The Holy Pictures

David Holmes struck oil with Ocean’s Eleven. Prior to his silverscreen sound-tracking, the Belfast-born DJ was better known as a cultural cut ‘n’ paster who produced magnificent 90’s floor-filler My Mate Paul. Yet with Holmes’ stock escalating meteorically on Hollywood Hill it’s difficult not to question whether his instant celebrification has filtered its way into new LP The Holy Pictures. In short, his fourth ‘proper’ outing is a disappointment: Lets Get Killed's street-smart huffing and puffing has been replaced by the humdrum shoe-gaze of Story Of The Ink, while Bow Down To The Exit Signs’ soulful gloss has evaporated in Kill Her With Kindness’ desert of myopic, synth-spangled ambience. Opener I Heard Wonders at least injects a little pace into this tortoise-like affair but little else has the capacity to intrigue with such conviction. The oil may be flowing but David Holmes’ own energy levels appear to be diminishing fast. [Billy Hamilton]