Holy Holy venture into the genre-verse with new album "‘Cellophane’
The Australian duo Holy Holy are back with their fifth studio album and they brought along their friends this time. Cellophane is full of features and collaborations from different artists that give the album a unique flair. The record offers a bit of a departure from the band’s usual sound that flexes the group’s versatile abilities. Tim Carroll’s sweet falsetto rings through every song to carry the joyous ride from start to finish. The musician told Rolling Stone Australia what the album intended to do for the band, “it’s about shedding their inhibitions, alleviating themselves of the weight of expectation, and pushing their sound to new territory." Mission accomplished.
The album opens with a jaunty tune called “Neon St”. An appropriate name as the song makes you want to skip down a side street with a newfound bounce in your step. The hook sings “we got too much time” and there simply is not enough time to be spent with this song. One can get lost in the soothing synth melody from Caroll’s bandmate Oscar Dawson. Tasmanian-Ethiopian artist Medhanit lends the guest vocals on this one and adds to the fun with her eclectic vocals. If the first track is the soundtrack of walking down a shimmering street at night, then the second track “Pretend to Be” is the hidden club you stumble into at the end of the road. The track’s bass groove draws you in past any bouncers or inhibitions. The steady, driving beat makes you want to dance in the most embarrassing yet joyful way possible.
The band bends genres once again by bringing on Australian rapper Tasman Keith on “This Time”. Keith drops a verse discussing a broken relationship and even the darker tones of the short verse cannot drown out the fun. The subtle rolling percussion in the background makes your feet move while the melodic synths once again make your head bounce without control.
Darcie Haven is a rising singer-songwriter out of Perth and lends her vocals to the next track, “Heroes”. This one is for that moment when you come down from the high of losing it dancing and you are left with the calm euphoria of seeing the world slow around you. The simple keys play along with the sweet duet from Haven and Carroll. The electric guitar riff in the bridge brings in psychedelic, rock elements that harmonize with choral like vocals. Carroll’s falsetto shines brightest here.
The come down comes down a bit more with the intro to “Messed Up”, but it does not last long. Australian-Ghanaian rapper and producer Kwame hops on the track to provide soothing vocals that begin melancholic but soar to atmospheric heights. The band has taken us outside of the club now. The groove sends you running through the rain. The painful memories of relationships past are drowned out by the beat and the drops falling on your skin. The middle section of the album bounces through the genre-verse yet again. “Two Minds, Two Days, Two Mornings” flirts with lo-fi vibes and slowed-down hip-hop. “People Change” is a perfect indie-pop banger that would get any festival crowd clapping along during a midday set. It is the perfect song for the ‘yeah, let's roll down the windows moment on a long drive.
The band brings in Australian duo Sumner for an electronic dance pop bop on “Ready”. The 8’s-era synths mix with the more modern vocal layering to give the song a lifting feeling that makes you feel like a train barreling down a tunnel. The fun continues with an instrumental coda tagged on to the song that features fuzzy guitar riffs and clapping drums. The band dives into a bit more of a rock sound on “Can’t Relate”. Carroll brings down the vocal range a bit to give the song a little more grit than the rest of the offerings on the album. The bass is the star of this one from start to finish. Fans of Portugal. The Man will like this one.
Just when you thought the band could not mix in more sonic spaces on this album, they go full acoustic folk rock on “Rosé”. The simple strumming and Carroll’s sweet voice provides the perfect introspective moment mixed into all the fun. The album closes with a joyous singalong led by the feature of Swedish artist Many Voices Heard. It’s a grand psychedelic finale to perfectly end one joyous ride. Put this album on and try not to have fun, I dare you.