Holy Fuck

LP (Young Turks)

Everything and the kitchen sink. Toronto improvisational instrumentalists Holy Fuck dabble in nothing, but the three- to fivepiece can manipulate sound out of anything. Cemented around core duo Brian Borcherdt and Graham Walsh, Holy Fuck runs the gamut from electronic dance-floor antics to the most pseudo-symphonic instrumental pop this side of Iceland. Their sophomore LP, appropriately titled LP, follows 2005’s self-titled debut with a whirlwind of color and sound, whip-started on live rocker “Super Inuit.” From there, it’s a wondrous ride, this crew pulling hard through mind-melding, live-drum loops (“Frenchy’s”) and lo-fi analog distortion (“Royal Gregory”). There’s no joy greater than the Owen Pallett-touched gem “Lovely Allen,” making the machine seem organic at rising tide. Nary a laptop in sight, Holy Fuck elicits the preordained response its moniker prompts. This is where the dance floor, the abacus, and the amp collide. (Thursday, March 13, Wave Rooftop, 1am.)

***.5

This article appears in March 14 • 2008.

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