When I was 16/17, I got really into writing poetry. That was largely because I was consuming a lot of bands that did spoken word set to music and the stuff I was writing massively ripped off the likes of Listener or whoever else I had on rotation at the time. I cringe to think back on it – especially the stuff I posted online – but I’m glad to say I swiftly moved past the point in my life where I was writing substanceless melodramatic poetry. It’s not necessarily a good omen that the new holybones release – I got a good night’s sleep – reminded me of those poems.
I got a good night’s sleep is a pretty lowkey EP, as its title implies. Its foundation is in a mix of softly delivered poetry and understated pop hooks that put it firmly in a late-night mood; But it’s almost exactly that reason that the record kind of just washed over me. That formula of speak-hook-speak reminds me faintly of Self Esteem’s ‘I Do This All The Time’, but without giving me anything to digest at the end of its runtime like that track does. I got fairly bored of the likes of Dry Cleaning’s mundane half-sensical spoken word very quickly and I was never behind the wave of post-Rupi Kaur Instagram poets and this record leaves an aftertaste of both. I’m sure Holybones has plenty to write about, but the way it manifests in the lyrical content just never grips me enough to find out. Both delivery and content put me off so much that I’m fighting with myself to keep engaging with the record.
Not that there’s nothing to like on the EP. I actually don’t mind the instrumentals here at all. The placid piano, choral rushes and persistent drum beat on ‘Everywhere Break’ is pretty lush and with dashes of glitchy production flushes and a cut up vocal hook the track would be perfect as background music for a sleepy night drive. The bold repetitive chorus on ‘What You Talk’ is genuinely quite catchy. Unfortunately, that track is also one of the more egregious offenders on the lyrical front, to the point where it honestly does my head in a bit. An eye rolling “You play with your cartilage piercing” turns into “you have a matching tattoo under your left boob with your best friend” and “I slip my fingers into my chilly armpits” – not to mention the old cliche “you roll another cigarette” – which just kneecap any interest I have in hearing the song out. Look I’m a Butthole Surfers fan so I’m no stranger to questionable lyrics but at least they’re obviously meant to be funny whereas these are delivered without a passing hint of irony.
‘These Are The Rooms’ has a decent beat and is a nice break into more dancey material but those breathy spoken verses return and the momentum drops out from under it. It’s a quality that makes this EP so frustrating. Moments of promise are peppered throughout – what could otherwise be a record that I wasn’t into but also wouldn’t switch off turns into a chore to get through.
I’m finding this review a real challenge to write. I’m getting no pleasure in slating I got a good night’s sleep because I pressed play wanting to like it – the promise of a record with glitchy instrumentation and spoken word poetry intrigued me, and the promo images of bandaged figures in dark voids piqued my interest somewhat but I found myself bored and – at times – irritated. Maybe someone else will find some enjoyment in this EP but it did absolutely nothing for me, I’m afraid.
holybones: I got a good night’s sleep – Released 3 September 2025
