Album Review: Holy Balm - Activity

Thawing themselves out from four years of studio inactivity, this trio of Sydney-based wonky house veterans pick up from where they left off.

Classic Chicago bass lines that never fail to hit the mark and wibbly lazer attacks abound, but it's Emma Ramsay's deadpan vocals which are the key component, particularly on Clandestine where her frosty delivery drifts over pitch-bending synth lines. Other highlights include the unashamedly retro Fashion, which could have been time-warped in from the '80s, and the ketamine-damaged stagger of Dancing Gravy II.