A Magic Wombat is a surprise because it doesnt look like its going to be very good. The cover art is cute but not particularly impressive and the whole package screams "low budget until you give it a listen. Thats when it becomes apparent that Billy Holmess real strength lies with his music. As part of the Deviance, Holmes is involved in creating prog-rock based on literary works such as The Lord Of The Flies but thankfully, his solo work is more thoughtful and introspective. Theres complexity to most of the songs, with Nick Drake-like acoustic guitars nestled between piano and drums, creating very atmospheric songs that tend to tread water rather than go anywhere but they do this very nicely. Despite using some interesting changes in tempo mid-song, several tracks hang around after they wear out their welcome, and the whole album blends together somewhat. However, A Magic Wombat still wins points for showing that you really cant judge a book by its cover.
(Put On Your Drinking Cap)Billy Holmes
A Magic Wombat
BY Michael EdwardsPublished May 23, 2007