More about: Holiday Ghosts

Cornwall based, retro rock duo Holiday Ghosts are back with third album, North Street Air. They’re an endearing pair, charming and witty. Here, Sam and Kat have made an album that’s a lot of fun, but politically loaded. 

North Street Air opens with ‘Hr. Herandi’, the track sounds like a cut straight from Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile’s acoustic album - the pair take aim at wealthy landlords refusing to fix their flat. This really sets the tone: superbly upbeat and dancy indie tunes with a fiercely anti-establishment agenda. Absolutely spot on for the world we live in right now. 

From here, the pair switch up the tempo and pick up electric guitars: ‘Off Grid’ really leans into the bands Americana influence. Echoes of The Nude Party and The Band are apparent throughout this album, but the Cornish pair pull it off with aplomb. ‘Holliday Ghosts’ has the rallying chorus of “I hate the government!” throughout: it's not even two minutes long but the pair manage to rile your anti-Tory mindset with ease. 

The title track and ‘Bathing Suit’ are prime examples of Holiday Ghosts doing what they do best: their harmonies work so well and the tracks all have a Dylan-style swagger to them. All of these tracks are so charming and enjoyable to listen to, the perfect soundtrack to accompany a summer's day spent laughing and drinking. Triumphant and blissful, midway point ‘3rd Dream’ fills you up with a feeling of contentment.

‘Makin A Fool’ is a real highlight: the whammy-barred riff and harmonica give the track a really sexy, Keith Richards style groove. ‘Total Crisis’ is super upbeat, fun, and about as punky as the pair get on North Street Air, but its totally dancy and is sure to be a real crowd-pleaser. The band clearly wear their sixties influences on their sleeve, but the pair are talented enough to sound unique and interesting, making sure to be they’re far from nostalgia rip-off merchants.

The album finishes strong, with closing tracks maintaining the nightclub energy. ‘Wallpaper’ sounds exactly like the sort of track Marty Mcfly would have danced to in 1955’s school dance. Get your lighters out, because its a slow, soulful, sway of a track.

Overall, then, North Street Air is a solid album that shows real progression from the pair’s earlier work. If you wanted to be critical, I suppose the album lacks variety. Most of the cuts on this record all sound very similar, but the lyrical content sets them apart from one another - plus, if it ain't broke, dont fix it, right? 

North Street Air arrives 21 May via FatCat Records.

More about: Holiday Ghosts