The Top 25 Albums Of 2021 (So Far): Holiday Sidewinder - 'Face Of God'

1 July 2021 | 1:09 pm | Tiana Speter

'The Music' team on the releases you need to hear from 2021.

The Top 25 Albums Of 2021 (So Far): Holiday Sidewinder - 'Face Of God'

The Top 25 Albums Of 2021 (So Far): Holiday Sidewinder - 'Face Of God'

Like reclining on a cloud of neon dust, Holiday Sidewinder’s second album Face Of God is an effervescent wonderland, equal parts grounded and heady. Drawing inspiration from hallucinations, existential dread and smoky Moroccan cafes amongst other things, Sidewinder’s own personal influences and inspirations come to life in technicolour on her latest album, courtesy of her own dreamy inclinations as well as some collaborative input via PNAU and Empire Of The Sun’s Nick Littlemore.

Already an established local legend courtesy of her tenure with Sydney indie darlings Bridezilla (and possessing the rare bragging rights of having Sia as a past babysitter), Sidewinder has always tended to stray more into the whimsical side of the genre coin. And while her solo material is certainly a trek into more psychedelic textures of the indie pop world than her previous projects, Sidewinder’s undeniable knack for concocting fairy floss gloss with a kooky core is on full display on her second album released this year back in May.

A glittering love letter to billowing tones and lofty textures, Face Of God cleaves fever dreams alongside a sweltering blend of indie pop, psychedelic rock and trip hop, as Sidewinder ditches her more mainstream stylings and goes head first into the void. Accompanied by scattered guitars, synths and Sidewinder’s intoxicating vocals for the first five tracks, it’s on these earlier moments of the album that Sidewinder take full flight, luring you deeper and deeper into her delirious world (specifically on opening track Like A Wave, as well as Into The Universe and title track Face Of God), before three instrumental jams dole out nostalgic glimmer and dazing haze to close out the album.

While the album’s overall tempo is unwavering and the thematics aren’t always rosy, there’s no time for Face Of God to overstay its welcome; by the time its final gooey tones have wafted off into the breeze, you’ll have briefly left this realm and joined Sidewinder in her fanciful world of visions and a creamy abyss. Holiday Sidewinder may have a pretty staggering backstory, but 2021 sees her emerge in her most engaging and sincere form yet.

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter