Coat of Arms

By the release of their fourth album, Absolute Reality (2023), Southern Englands Holiday Ghosts had not only refined their garage rock-inspired sound into something still loose and spirited but utterly approachable, they continued to display a knack for infectious retro-rock rhythms and playful melodies, and they embraced working-class sociopolitical themes that made their jagged indie pop tunes even more gratifying. The band very much continue in this vein (these veins) on their fifth album, Coat of Arms, which they recorded with Phil Booth (Martha, Sleaford Mods). Catchy standout "Big Congratulations" represents the albums more affectionate side, even if the jubilant mood takes an ironic stab at the notion of keeping up with the Joneses. For more sincere reassurance, look no further than "Im Still Here," which leads into the titular chorus with a supportive, "If I cant do it how you want me to do it/I wont hold that against you." They take a more confrontational and punkier stance on tracks like "Energy," a song that was partly inspired by lesser-known Devo cut "Golden Energy" and that ends in a prolonged band jam, and on the more conspicuously proto-punk-like "Sublime Disconnect," a racing rant on identity and belonging (co-vocalist Katja Rackin was born and partly raised in Sweden, where her Iranian parents moved after the Iranian Revolution). There are midtempo and more reflective tracks in play, too, such as the woozier "Tired Eyes," although Coat of Arms never gets lethargic, and its ten tracks are over in the blink of an eye, staying true to its garage and indie pop roots with an agreeable 27-minute playing time. ~ Marcy Donelson