Image via Ian Laidlaw //

Following years of lighting up dance floors across the world as part of Peking Duk, resident party lord Adam Hyde is breaking out as a solo artist, under the moniker of Keli Holiday…

The debut effort from Holiday, titled KELI, sees him fully immerse himself in the magnetic corner of indie and pop he cultivated for himself in early singles ‘we don’t have to know’ and ‘where you feel’. But despite from his obvious party lord persona so inherent to him as an individual and that of Peking Duk, Holiday really showcases his tender side on this record. From ‘Corolla’ to ‘off my mind’ and ‘Picnic’, KELI is an album of the planetary variety, and it’s a treat to dig into.

And so, we figured we’d dive into the debut record from Holiday in all of its lush highs and and intimate moments. Check it out below:

Opening the debut with ‘december’, the Canberra-bred muso starts the LP on a tone of hazy sweetness that listens like a summer breeze. Fuzzy vocals overlaid on bouncy guitar lines and basslines set a warm mood that permeates the rest of the album, regardless of shifts in mood or instrumentation. 

It’s especially apparent on ‘corolla’, Holiday leaning into the more raw and punchy parts of his range as he slows things down for a simmering slow-burn that listens like shots of nostalgia. It just goes to show that despite the party-lord reputation he’s cultivated as a part of Peking Duk, he’s got the emotional range to match. 

It’s a sentiment continued in ‘off my mind’ and ‘picnic’, the fourth and fifth tracks in the LP rife with a tangible resonance that showcases Holiday’s willingness to dive deep into his psyche, most notably on the hook of ‘picnic’ as he sings “I’m not scared”. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDApkVORgtY

Much to the delight of the dance and party enthusiasts out there, this isn’t just an album for the more slower parts of the night, the deep cuts of the tracklisting cultivated for pumping dance floors and mosh pits. It’s a concoction hinted at on the vibrant pastels of ‘Human Nature’, the mid-tempo heater utilizing all the classic elements of the party soundscape in just the right measure, perfectly setting up the explosive nature of back to back singles ‘we don’t have to know’ and ‘where you feel’.

It’s not hard to see why the pair of tracks were released early on in the evolution of the Keli Holiday project, the two firestarters burning with life and rigour as the talent doubles down on his love of life and chasing the high in every situation. It’s in these moments where we see the pure passion of the project shine through brightest, Holiday’s vocals, lyrics and overall capabilities as a performer at their strongest as he cultivates a corner of the indie/pop/dance soundscapes for all of us to witness.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YPfnTwkfME

It’s a tough mission to level out an album after such a pair of high energy tracks, yet, Holiday does it with style and flair on ‘better’, the tune listening almost like a lullaby as he reverts to the dreamy soundscape he references on cuts like ‘Picnic’ and ‘off my mind’. But there’s an added warmth to resonance to them, the final cuts almost charged by the preceding tracks as Holiday comfortably asserts his capabilities as a solo artist. 

Concluding with ‘with you’ and ‘song goes on’, Holiday by this time fully in the pocket as both a storyteller and musician. The lyrics “You’re living off champagne/cigarettes cocaine/it’s not that good for you/I try to tell you honey” delving deep into the maturity he paints the sonic canvas with. Again, utilizing a stripped back instrumental, Holiday shines as he mirrors the sentiments of past greats like Bob Dylan, his efficacy for imbuing a track with emotion and passion on full display.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efKxs9aeoGQ

It’s only at the very end of the record you realize that despite his strengths in the art of the dancefloor heater, matters of the heart is where Holiday’s love lies, that despite his pull to the dancefloor, the art of the ballad holds a special place in his heart. It’s a good summary for the album as a whole, one that pulls back and forth between the up-tempo heaters to the emotive slow-burns, and just goes to show the artistic range of the artist that is Keli Holiday.

Keli Holiday’s debut album KELI is out now. You can buy/stream it here.