"I wrote the music first and then tried to reverse-engineer the lyrics to meet the mood. Hopefully, it is a song that will be cathartic when someone is feeling very low. 😭

I approached Timothy Reid who is based in Osaka Japan for help getting the song made. Timothy is a world-class Guitarist and Songwriter and gave me the gift of joining my project. He had some ideas on the arrangement and made a couple of nice changes to the composition. He also created new instrumental tracks at his Osaka studio and provided bed-tracks and seps.

Initially, I did not want to be the singer on this project hoping instead for a woman vocalist but after some time decided to reconsider and get this one over the finish line.

I put the project out for a Sound Engineer and received a great Mix/Master from Gilbert Norum (Mexico) who also reintroduced my bongos from the original idea tracks. All tracks were kept in our mutual virtual studio at KOMPOZ.com" - E G Holmes

Maybe I haven’t listened to enough E.G. Holmes, but the bits of catalog I’ve been exposed to are usually more straightforward rock/pop/adult contemporary, and the occasional elegant blues. However, with his latest release through Bongo Boy Records – “Pieces That Lay Broken” – Holmes dabbles in something spacey, atmospheric, and grazing comfortably alongside world music. Is this change a success, or perhaps dangerously off brand? Let’s talk about it.

Wait. Who does what?

E.G. Holmes collaborated globally with exceptional artists like Timothy Reid, who helped advance the composition, and received mixing/mastering assistance from Gilbert Norum. Holmes, initially preferring a female vocalist, reconsidered, lending his world-wise voice to this airy, electronic excursion.

So…what does it sound like?

“Pieces That Lay Broken” is built on mechanical, worldly beats, glistening synth washes, and an almost chiming piano arpeggio – like little dots of light circling the song’s vortex of softly high frequencies.

And Holmes’ deeper, character-laden, poetically raspy voice anchors these higher, wispy washes to Earth – the song floats, but Holmes’ voice keeps it spinning just above the grass.

I’m not sure how he does it, but E.G. Holmes seems to revel in the art of gathering small sonic details, different tones, restrained textures, space and ambience and bringing them all together to create his songs. Last year’s single Warm was fashioned similarly through weight or impact, volume or velocity, but through gently bringing together chiming, and indeed charming, musical strands, and so it is here.

Pieces That Lay Broken doesn’t make its present felt through anything as course or unimaginative as puch or power. Instead, it beguiles the listener with fine detail and finessed sounds – a gentle groove built on understated drums, shimmering guitars that gradually build to include more robust but never imposing drives, pulsing, punctuating yet sparse bass lines and that wonderfully relaxed, warm yet slightly world-weary vocal of his.

Too many artists throw everything they can think of at the musical space they are given to work in. The real charm of E.G. Holmes’ music in general, and this song in particular, is the fact that he is merely harnessing and cocooning the sound of the world around us rather than adding to it.

1. Hot Blooded 4 U
Music & Lyrics by: E G Holmes
Featuring: David Vanden Enden
Produced by: FIG Sound

2. Road Too Long
Music & Lyrics by: E G Holmes
Featuring: E G Holmes
Produced by: FIG Sounds

3. Mysterious
Music by: E G Holmes
Lyrics by: Casia
Featuring & V Fit: Karl Knutson
Produced by: Rick Berls

4. Jamba Jambalaya
Music by: E G Holmes
Lyrics by: Casia
Featuring: David Vanden Enden
Produced by: FIG Sounds

5. The Rumors
Music & Lyrics by: E G Holmes
Featuring: David Vanden Enden
Produced by: FIG Sounds

6. Time to Rest
Music by: E G Holmes
Lyrics by: Darlene Papalardo
Featuring: E G Holmes
Produced by: FIG Sounds

7. Cool Changes
Music by: E G Holmes
Lyrics by: Rick Ellis
Featuring: Rick Ellis
Produced by: FIG Sounds