Michael Holt

As a member of the Mommyheads and Mushroom, Michael Holt fulfilled an important supporting role, but these days he really wants to be a front-man despite some obvious problems that are very apparent on Pilot Single. This is the kind of sensitive singer-songwriter stuff that is very likely to induce cringing and even nausea. Without paying too much attention to the lyrics, it seems pleasant enough in the same way that the music in the supermarket might be as an accompaniment to selecting the right kind of salsa to buy. But anyone actually listening to the words is likely to be Holt’s downfall because there are lines here that he should be genuinely ashamed of; simply horrible stuff. I’m sure he’s a nice enough guy, because he managed to convince a whole bunch of people to play on this, his third album. But I can’t help but think that his strength might lie in a supporting role rather than trying in vein to hog the spotlight.