Operating from a different angle than the shadowy psych-doom project Stonefield where she holds down the low-end, Holly Findlay used her time in COVID lockdown to construct an engagingly cohesive synth-forward EP that revels in euphoric absurdity and the intergalactic wonder of everyday existence, offering a glimpse into the esoteric nature of an artist liberated from expectations and given free rein to create within the sandbox of their own psyche.
SPUD opens with the lo-fi shuffle of “Spend,” an all-instrumental thesis awash in spaced-out synth and anti-gravity rhythms that oscillates with a cosmic effortlessness across the hemispheres of the mind. The heavy track is elevated by interdimensional sax riffs crying out from the void, adrift for an eternity among the stars only to wash up on the frothy shores of consciousness among a bioluminescent mass of psychedelic jellyfish. “Spend” sets the tone for the entire EP, laying out a toolbox of fuzzy sounds and sonic constructs that Findlay leverages to build her personal dreamscape. Accompanied by a papercraft video that creates a Flying Circus of living collages upending concepts of materialism and consumption with a neatly astute DIY aesthetic, “Spend” draws value from the tangible satisfaction of making the most out of what’s available while not compromising on quality.
Tumbling from the speakers like a gaggle of stoned teenagers red-eyed and ravenous on a quest to find something, anything, to satisfy an overpowering case of the munchies, “Chips” is a veritable love letter to the universal appeal of deep-fried potato wedges that fully embraces its own conceptual absurdity with gleeful abandon. A rhythmic dance beat underpins massive synth accented by a gnarly guitar riff punching through the mix with a healthy dose of attitude as Findlay and crew dance their way through back alleys and strip-mall dives in pursuit of carbohydrate contentment. Findlay’s dedication to the concept achieves Thundercat levels of Dadaist playfulness while maintaining a surprisingly coherent narrative throughout and a gnawing craving for a second helping.
“News” is possessed of a secretly stoned midday swagger grinning behind tinted glasses as it hovers by on the sidewalk. A little sparser than previous tracks and driven by flattened out percussion and a guitar-forward composition, “News” could almost be called funky. Low-key good-time vibes are tempered by lyrical acknowledgement of the simmering paranoia borne from voluntary absorption of televised current events, a reality check anchor point that keeps the musical bounce from drifting away on a cloud.
Combining the gum-smacking attitude of The Waitresses’ “I Know What Boys Like” with a vocal delivery that recalls Farrah’s disarming “Dancing Girls,” “Bang Bang” drips heavy with thick and sticky psychedelic marmalade, a percolating art house lava lamp of sound and sex and sass. Findlay shoots down campy come-ones with deadeye accuracy like a retro-futuristic feminist superhero, a streetwise Barbarella for the 21st Century resolutely impervious to the hollow promises of entitled suitors. The track concludes abruptly, ending nearly mid-riff with a jarring finality that punctuates the no-nonsense posture like a period at the end of a sentence, a confident conclusion to a brilliantly tough track.
Fully primed and ready for launch, “Stage 4” closes out the EP with head-on space synth dialed up for maximum hyperdrive. Kicking into high gear with a motorik synth loop and bursting at the seams with waves of wah conjured straight from the 1970s, “Stage 4” is a utopian daydream awash in sunlight as it hurtles through swirling nebulas of sound towards a brighter future. “Get out of here, living in fear, inside all day, no way to stay!” shouts Findlay, a rallying cry for the tantalizing return to normalcy that lies just beyond the apex of pandemic isolation.
SPUD is an energetic glimpse into the mind of creative flexing beyond the expected, an exercise in self-expression that opens avenues to subconscious realms of higher understanding… or maybe just a craving for a big plate of chips.
SPUD is available on limited 10” vinyl from Greenway Records. Stream the EP on Spotify and follow Holly Findlay on Instagram.
