Imagine if Garbage and Nirvana had a love child - introducing grunge-inspired Melbourne band Long Holiday. Although Greetings From... is the debut release from the band, at least two members – Andie Fitzpatrick (bass) and Marc Russo (drums) – are accomplished musicians. Fitzpatrick toured Europe with the Tim McMillan Band and worked as a session musician, while Russo cut his teeth in the metal scene, finding success as songwriter-drummer for cult favourites Uncle Chunk. Gina Wessel (vocals/guitar) rounds out the three-piece.
Based on the cover artwork and the band's name you could be forgiven for expecting this to be an album of easy-listening music, but Greetings From... is Long Holiday's attempt to fill a perceived void in the current commercial music landscape, with a contemporary take on the grunge genre. Instead it sounds like a Garbage cover band.
Apart from the opening track, Hate Potion No 8, and two later tracks, Cola Pop and 'Round Again, this pretty angry album begins to sound like one long 47-minute song. It is salvaged somewhat by the musicianship, such as the distorted guitar at the start of She Ain't Dead (But You Are). However, Army Of One is too long and Salt is almost devoid of vocals – it is questionable why they are on the album at all.
There is something lacking on this album. There are no clever lyrics that make the songs unique in any way, nothing to latch onto or get excited about – it would have worked better as an instrumental album. It just falls short of being a decent, contemporary, grunge-inspired album. There are ways to deliver an album that doesn't just end up sounding like Garbage and this is not it.
