Album Review: Holograms – Forever

Since the release of their debut album last year, Holograms have clearly had a soul-searching ride. The overwhelming experience of extensive touring and losing their jobs left the band returning home to working class Sweden feeling bored and isolated once more. Forever homes in on the exhaustion suffered and sanity questioned as Anton Spetze repeats, “I’m so tired”. You can hear that utter frustration is rife throughout; it’s a recurring theme that shakes every track to the core. Elevated by the punk theme, everything is a heady rush ready to battle through all barriers.

Even at 10 tracks, Forever seems to be over in a flash and creates an unknowing daze, which carries both positive and negative traits .The songs do run into each other a bit too fluidly and at times it’s tough to distinguish one track from the next. Though, looking at it another way, this going at full pelt malarkey does add to the characteristics on Forever; it enhances the dissatisfaction the four-piece have felt. Aspects of it are much bigger-sounding than their self-titled debut; revved up and ready to fire post-punk gems.

‘A Blaze On the Hillside’ and ‘Meditations’ feature ringing guitars and crashing drums, helped along by shouted vocals, which sit very comfortably among the shenanigans. ‘Rush’ lives up to its name: relentless and ballsy. While, ‘Luminous’ starts with an electronic swirl to signal its rampage. It’s a random choice of noise that stands out against the rest of the album because of how controlled it is. “I’ve been waiting for you to shine, to clear my vicious mind,” sings Spetze hopefully, bringing some emotion to the field.

The beginning of ‘Flesh and Bone’ may sound a bit like Joy Division with it’s scaling riff, but as usual -and with a title like ‘Flesh and Bone’ – there’s only going to be some clattering carnage later. However, ‘Lay Us Down’ maintains a stable pace throughout and shows a more placid side to Holograms with a swelling chorus. ‘Wolves’ follows the same pattern with aggravated lyrics such as, “We suffer, we pay the price” and “This is the end of the believers,” stabbing away. Forever is a thrilling record where the gritty music personifies Holograms’ realities and the chanting words bring an authoritative voice to the misery.

– Hayley Fox