West Bay Playroom

When Holiday Ghosts made their debut in 2017, it was with a clattering garage rock that revealed good melodic instincts and a thoughtfulness that was more concerned with getting through the day than partying in said garage. After tweaking their lineup but retaining co-lead singers and main songwriters Sam Stacpoole and Kat Rackin, the U.K. four-piece returns two years later with West Bay Playroom and a more direct sound. While sweeter, that sound is still loose and youthful, and there are still punk and garage influences, like on the infectious opener, "Low Flying Bird," which comes with organ, jangly guitars, "ooh-wee-ooh-ooh" backing vocals, and a false ending. There's a more easy-going feeling to the bulk of the album, though, with mid-tempo guitar pop songs like the bouncy "Sleep Sleep Sleep," which is sung mostly in unison by both singers, and "Stuck Here," delivered dismissively by Rackin ("I'm only here so I can feel alive/And I don't need your confirmation to survive"). Elsewhere, "Booksmart" channels surf rock and carries one of the record's spookier melodies, and the band takes on a bluesier character on the Rackin-led "Just a Feeling" and the jaunty "B.S. Porsche," which features Stacpoole and a proper retro-rock guitar solo. Rather than seeming particularly eclectic, West Bay Playroom ultimately presents a richer selection of songs than Holiday Ghosts' debut, all tied together by an affection for vintage melodies, short song lengths, clean guitar tones, and a spontaneous performance style that rejects click tracks and doesn't worry too much about tuning. It's an album that sounds like it accomplished exactly what they set out to do -- even the brief, slinky instrumental interlude "Cobra" is on point. ~ Marcy Donelson