A Holmes track is a scene from your favorite television show. The young female lead begins a downward spiral of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. The married man contemplates leaving his tired wife for a younger, more endowed woman. Forty five minutes of tragedy, intrigue, deceptions, and its comedy. No matter the moment of melodrama, Holmes can provide the empathetic soundtrack for which. Though lacking in originality, Holmes’ new, stripped-down album is a solid addition to the modern singer/songwriter catalogue if not all too harmless.

Born in Israel as Roy Shakked, Holmes began playing piano at a young age. A self-proclaimed “mix-tape junkie,” his international upbringing and subsequent stints in Boston and New York gave Holmes a broad range of influences, from The Neville Brothers to Prince. After a brief stint in jazz remixing, Holmes became, well, Holmes and embraced his piano bar charm. Which of these destinations gave him his knowledge of fuckup-learn-grow-repeat is anyone’s guess. His first album, Stop Go, received critical acclaim in 2007 and was quickly licensed by TV shows like Sex and the City and CSI. Perfect for a man hell bent on finding the true tear in the fabric of humanity without sewing anything too complicated. Out of which the self titled Holmes evolved two years later, as Shakked strove to recreate the feel of an acoustic set in his recordings with mixed results.

Across the release, Holmes’ raw, bluesy voice is balanced by classic piano power chords and sparing instrumentation. His lyrics prove to be equally simplistic, yet startlingly effective. Singing, “One day in a lonely life, two jobs and a broken wife,” on “Let Go,” Holmes paints a vivid, relatable picture for anyone spared the silver spoon and a healthy love. His tracks evoke pleasantly mellow emotions with quirky musical interludes. On “Not A Political Song,” Holmes’ most unique and nuanced effort on the album, he delivers a song that could just as easily be about an ex girlfriend as it would be George Bush. (Although the track becomes an all-too-clear piece of hate mail directed at the later) After several listens, the downside of this catchy album is just that: its catchiness. Holmes’ creates a sound that has been done so many times over, though his competency masks his lack of inventiveness. Maybe just in a sophomore slump, Holmes may take his own advice and learn over time to step further outside of industry-imposed boxes.

Holmes is a strong effort that should push Roy Shakked to explore his creative depths. Clearly well versed in the technical aspects of music, Shakked needs to develop a persona that distinguishes himself in the never ending pool of singer/songwriters; albeit a tough venture. Perhaps a new nickname would give his “everyman” songs some extraordinary flair.

Marissa Oberlander