Monday, November 10, 2025

Neon bright (Holly Arrowsmith) (LP 3899)

Holly Arrowsmith  Blue Dreams (Vinyl, Leather Jacket Records, 2024) ****  

GenreNZ Music, pop 

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Swan Dive

Gear costume: Neon Bright

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5Part 6

Active compensatory factors
Usually one song stands out well above the others but my Fab/Gear Playlist additions were tough to decide. I might have gone for the (seemingly) bright and breezy opener Neon Bright, Desert Dove or Something Small - a beautifully understated song, or the title track (the single off the album). Swan Dive was ultimately my choice because it closes the album superbly and reminded me a little of Jenny Lewis.

Holly has a beautiful voice, the musical arrangements are sympathetic, and she writes from the heart. I put 'seemingly' in brackets above because most (all?) of the songs on this album appear bright and shiny, but sadness and death are often her subject matter.

While I didn't think I'll be charging out to buy a physical copy, JB Hi Fi recently had it on sale for $7.99 so that was an easy decision because her version of Americana, Kiwi style, is certainly very easy on the ear. 

Where do they all belong? A new Kiwi addition to the kollection.

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