On Holy Sons' second album the songs of Emil Amos, the one and only Holy Son, are more focused both thematically and sound-wise. A world weariness belying his age continues unabated, with Amos' self-professed "failure wish" a recurrent topic ("Open your love to the world/See if it loves you back/My love is bigger than a big ol' Cadillac"), and every instrument (again, all played by Amos) adds just what is needed to accent song structure, from a simple kick/snare rhythm to a tasteful guitar lick to slightly off double-tracked vocals to an ominous distant foghorn-like sample. The treatments are diverse yet cohesive, always sublimely minimal, and he hasn't adopted the country-folk feel of later albums yet. In fact, his influences are from all over the indie rock canon. Overhead There's Unity has the dissonance of classic Archers of Loaf. We Are an Island is the best song Stephen Malkmus never wrote. Keep on Dreaming, with its ironic mock trumpet solo, has an early Guided by Voices vibe. And the lovely Blow to the Head, with its tortured and cracked falsetto, has the makings of a Will Oldham paean. But these are only reference points. Staying True to the Ascetic Roots shows a maturation of Amos' unorthodox songwriting and bedroom recording skills, and is one of the most rewarding efforts in the Holy Sons catalog (it's also probably the only one to come packaged with an actual nail in the jewel case, a clever reference to the album title). ~ Brian Way, Rovi

1		Sugar Jets
2		We Are an Island
3		Unhaunted
4		Blow to the Head
5		Overhead There's Unity
6		Keep on Dreaming
7		Dissatisfaction as Virtue
8		Failure Wish Rising
9		Wax Bag Blues
10		As the World Paints Over Me