Jimmy Billingham’s HOLOVR project has been a favorite for years, so I was quite happy for this unexpected return. Nothing is Whole comes through like a chance encounter; a serendipitous moment where, in hindsight, everything changed. Soft melodies swim in static on the beautiful “Nascent Dawn.” The chorus of sunlight peeking over the horizon, shining hope on a new day even if it’s still tempered with fear and longing, bathes the air with moving chord progressions. “If You Can Remember” lives in the dark distance, a piece you will never let go of even when submerged in the glistening ambiance of pieces like “Two Crows” or “Focus Forever.” Throughout Nothing is Whole runs a silver river of doubt, questioning decisions and wondering “What If?” With album closer “Stand Still,” though, answers are few and far between but there is still a gentle, rolling path ahead to continue on. Let’s keep HOLOVR around for a little while longer.
