Label: FatCat Records
Hailing from Brighton (via Falmouth), Holiday Ghosts return with their third album ‘North Street Air’. An album that carries familiarity with The Velvet Underground and The Violent Femmes. The production has a warmth to it that you only really get on analog recordings and you can almost hear the crackle of vinyl playing over the top. Holiday Ghosts have really captured that retrospective sound from top to bottom in their latest installment.
Lead single ‘Mr Herandi’ starts proceedings with its jangly acoustic psych-folk, touching on a topic that I’m surprised there aren’t more songs about, dodgy landlords. The relatability of the subject helps you make a connection with the band instantly. Songs such as ‘Total Crisis’, ‘Leaving Today’ and ‘Bathing Suit’ are also there to pick the tempo with songs that could fit in on any Kinks album yet still maintains Holiday Ghosts sound with the duo of Katja and Sam sharing vocal duties. With lyrics covering topics such as the aforementioned landlord, being low on money, and holding a job, it’s an album that is consistently relatable.
The influences are there as a badge of honour and it serves as a tribute rather than being derivative. With a sound and production rooted firmly in the ’70s, ‘North Street Air’ feels like a hit of nostalgia. Considering the album title refers to one of the more polluted feeling streets in Brighton, the album hits like a breath of fresh air.
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