EP: “Fools On Parade” by Soulhole

Bournemouth band Soulhole have a whole lot of staying power and determination. When Father and Son, Matthew and Jordan Digby were faced with losing three members of the band they could have easily just given up. Thankfully this was not an option and the band was brought back from the brink by auditioning and inducting three new members-Kerry Evans (Guitar), Nathan Wallington (Drums) and Billy Poore (Bass). The band have been playing a whole host of gigs over the Summer to bed in the new members and to discover their mojo once again. This time has been used wisely and a new 4 track EP called “Fools on Parade” has been released to mark this new chapter in the band’s life. The EP was officially released at a launch party at Eden in Bournemouth on the 19th November, where the band were on fire; showing they have not lost any of their previous sparkle.

The EP open’s with a song that has been around for a while and was played quite a bit live with the previous band line up. It starts slowly with guitar, then they introduce a small amount of percussion; then the keyboards, before a funky bassline punches in turning the track on its head. The instantly infectious tune shows a great mixture of old and new influences, creating a fresh new sound that shows these guys are on the right track. These ingredients can also be found in track 2 “A Bit of Your Funk” where the infectious nature of the music continues with this foot-tapping number that needs to be played with the bass turned up. “City Catz” shows up some clever use of vocal harmonizing, with more creative use of guitars combined with Matthew’s considerable keyboard skills.

The first signs of a real change in the Soulhole camp comes in the form of the title track “Fools on Parade”. There is more than a tinge of darkness here with a slowed down Blues number that Jordan has written, about the regret of a failed relationship. The track shows the considerable pain suffered from the break-up and introduces some “Jazz club” – style saxophone; nicely played by Jordan, along with the keys and gentle guitar melodies. The lyrics really hit the spot with one line stating “These times we shared have they all gone to waste?, I took you for granted cos I’m a fool on parade”! The scream at the end echoes the release that a writer can get from delving deep inside themselves to produce a masterpiece such as this. The band have found a new rejuvenation and with lots more new songs already written this is just the beginning of this new chapter.