It’s been four years between drinks for Sydney outfit The Holidays, but now the band have returned with the all-important second album and follow up to their tropically-inclined debut, Post Paradise.
One man down following the departure of founding member Will Magnus, Real Feel takes on a more synth-heavy aesthetic. The album is filled with water references and allusions to the fluidity of space and time, reflected not only in the lyrics but also in the flowing composition of the tracks.
The album’s theme is clear from the start, with the echoing and rippling ‘Long Now’. The song’s anticipatory and dramatic opening hints at something quite spectacular, though drops quickly into fairly standard indie pop featuring Simon Jones’ high vocals, rolling keys, building bridges, and a steady beat.
It’s a solid start, though much of the album is bedded in run-of-the-mill tracks, save for a few gems. The expansive single ‘Voices Drifting’ is one of these, an uplifting number with shoegaze stylings but catchy enough to garner itself some radio playability.
Throughout the record The Holidays hint at some interesting sounds, but don’t quite achieve a cohesive style that sets them apart. There’s touches of 90s arena spectacular, some placebo influence for ‘Home’, and a subtle but satisfying guitar motif on the oriental inspired ‘Japanese Window’.
The key success of the album though, is the final experimental track ‘Morning Workout’. Blurring a variety of sounds with a quick beat, the song builds into a tropical-style instrumental and leads to a wholesome and inspiring finish.
Listening to ‘Voices Drifting’ from Real Feel here:
