Album Review

The Human Value – ‘Hold Of Me’

• 9th Aug 2007

The Human Value look set to take off in the underground of the UK market. ‘Hold Of Me’ is a bass laden single, which pounds along with repetitive lyrics (“I don’t need your love darlin’, I don’t want your love”) building the atmosphere to create a distinctive dark grunge sound that nevertheless recalls PJ Harvey and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

There is something addictive in the song, which demands that you listen over and over, and while it may not be a big seller it should provoke interest in the Human Value album ‘Push and Pull’ due for release on September 17th. In that format the complexity and momentum of the music and the subtlety of Turu’s lyrics will make more sense than in a three minute single. The Smiths never hit the top ten with a single and The Human Value are a bit too good and a lot too demanding for that live and burn market.

The Human Value are vocalist Turu – “sultress and gender bending sex kitten!” and guitarist and sometime vocal Hiram Fleites – Cuban born and bred. Their music may have that intense and desperate underground feeling of New York but the duo hail from the West Coast – used as a description for all music of a sunny disposition and as far away from the Human Value as you can get. LA was receptive though as they regularly played The Viper Room but leaving that “safety zone, bubble” an internet buzz created in England drew the pair over. “We need to get to the heart of the music world. We’re going to London” explains Turu, “This record is like the evolution of both of us as musicians. It plays like it is ‘live.’” The fact Turu is trying to avoid the cliché of singing about break ups and heartbreak and focusing on survival is something to applaud. It’s not easy, but it’s The Human Value.

Live UK Dates in August and September

16 August London, Who’s Jack Night @ Tommy Flynn’s
18 August Portsmouth, The Nell Gwynn
1 September London, The Good Ship
7 September Cornwall, End Of Summer Ball @ Sandsifter
28 September Cornwall, Press Play Night @ Corn Exchange