Holiday Ghosts – Coat of Arms Review

Back with more to prove after their exceptional Absolute Reality release last year, Holiday Ghosts are not ones to lay down and rest. Their second album in just as many years, Coat of Arms, brings an urgency to their perception and a laid-back appeal to their sound. It is the best of both worlds, and the light flutters of indie-pop sounds they revel in are, as expected, up to scratch. They set a high bar just a year before and with momentum like this, it is clear to hear why the band wanted to dive right back into the studio. Coat of Arms is your usual Holiday Ghosts affair. A crisp quality spread over ten delightful tracks, ripe for the picking. Another sonic force to be reckoned with, a decent effort all around. 

Lighter flourishes, walking down this street of dreams on opener Western Daylight, is a keen reminder of where we come from, and how it does not quite define us. Upbeat celebrations of dodging the pitfalls of life can be heard on Big Congratulations, a solid and light effort which, at its core, has all the severity of trying to lead a life without fear creeping in. But fear, disease and the desire to learn more are always knocking, and Holiday Ghosts maintain this line between the horrors of the real world with the bubbly jangle pop instrumentals. Energy has extracted the appeal of two decades worth of musical culture and laid it out, clear as anything. The UK music scene dominated by Buzzcocks and The Adverts is compartmentalised with the additions of reflection, and it works out exceptionally well for Holiday Ghosts. 

While it does not tie them to the times, it does make it clear they are aware of where their influences lie. From that, they carve out a wider audience, a heavier punch to their instrumentals and a revival of the repetitive lyrical display paired with the colossal guitar hit. Sublime Disconnect continues this. Holiday Ghosts sound like an entirely different outfit, a punk-oriented smash lingers at the heart of this one. Flickers of their wonderful focus on freeform guitar solos on Today’s Headlines is a treat. Killing for money, dying for love, it all sounds like an electrified Bonnie and Clyde. It may be the peak of the record. A wonderful blur of everything instrumental the band had been working toward on the preceding songs, paired with exceptional vocals and a space which defines Holiday Ghosts. 

Closer Shoot for Peace holds relevance now as it would have done if it released over the last twenty years. The world is always firing bullets, bombs and bile for the veiled sake of peace. Holiday Ghosts has hit an uncomfortable series of nerves, making it sound wholly rewarding. Intense, exciting and a real thrill, as much of Holiday Ghosts’ discography is. Coat of Arms is no exception to a wonderful rule – and it may be one of their most out-there works so far. It has all the qualities of the 1970s post-punk boom and the birth of indie, but it advances those tones far faster, far better, than most.