The Devil's Guitar 625 Label****
Some people have never heard of Pete Holidai; others will know him from Ireland’s very fine, seminal punk-rock band, Radiators from Space. Fast forward 30-odd years, and we find Holidai still twanging, still imbued with the spirit of what first inspired him but tempered, clearly, with experience and maturity.
The Devil’s Guitar
, Holidai’s solo debut, finds him embracing 1950s lounge/ exotica/Tropicali through a number of superb, evocative instrumentals
(Fireworks Over Ronda,
Lunar Girl Reprise
) but also being unable to deny his pop heritage, notably on
The Girl in the Car
(which sounds like an older first cousin to David Bowie’s
Kooks
) and
The Lonely One
. Equal parts astutely executed and sophisticated, this is a masterclass in how to breathe new life into a well-worn genre. The only question is how many people will get around to hearing this? See peteholidai.bandcamp.com
Download tracks:
Fireworks Over Ronda, The Girl in the Car
