Elvis Depressedly: Holo Pleasures

Have you ever just wanted to cuddle up in bed on a rainy day and reflect on life with the aid of a good record? If you haven’t found any artists or albums that can particularly satisfy that desire, South Carolina’s Elvis Depressedly may be able to help you in your time of meditation. Something this band should be noted for is their consistency – although their albums are short and concise, they always provide an album packed with emotionally-driven lyrics backed by catchy instrumentals. Holo Pleasures accomplishes everything Elvis Depressedly has done before, but with a new twist.

The three-piece band from South Carolina have maintained the element of indie pop by utilizing Matt Cothron’s gently coarse voice mingling with memorable guitar riffs. Add a thick layer of fuzz over the entire album and Elvis Depressedly have managed to create a record that not only appeals to the naked ear, but also amplifies the macabre vibes being emulated.

While most of the songs have relatively pleasant melodies, the dark and, well, depressing (if you didn’t catch their name) lyrics juxtapose the relaxed tunes. The album’s opener “Okay” does this best by introducing a relatively quick-paced beat against Cothron’s honest confession, “dream my fears come true as I’m trying/to feel alright/I’ve become a catacomb of secrets/fucked up inside.” After “Okay”, each song seems to embody a completely different atmosphere from the song before. Take “Pepsi/Coke Suicide” – it’s the slowest track on the album and consumes listeners with just drums, vocals, and some strings. Compare that to “Teeth”, a track that employs some synth, and you already have a pretty diverse six-song record. What is so cool about this album is how that nice, thick layer of fuzz maintains an even flow between every song. Each song manages to be its own unique piece while there is a peaceful theme stringing them all together.

At first glance, Elvis Depressedly has made a few EPs and LPs with songs that range from one to two-and-a-half minutes long. What may feel odd to some listeners is how short this album is, just like every other set of recordings they have released. It may feel abrupt, but I think this is the way it should be. They write soothingly sad lyrics in a very crisp manner to evoke emotions that will linger even after the album has ended, making you want to listen to it over and over again.

Every aspect of Holo Pleasures wraps around you and carries you off wherever you need to go: to sleep, to a quiet place in your head, to a place where you can focus. There is a driving force that keeps you floating even after the album has ended, and that is what makes it so special. Elvis Depressedly continue to write their new LP and I can only hope that they will keep giving us new types of sounds to immerse ourselves in and get lost. Music can be used as an escape to a place of clarity, and this album can help you do just that.