The New Year period can provide a strange mix of emotions. We all have a resolution-making, gym-starting posi side, as well as an anxious, ‘what fresh hell is this?’ mood, particularly when viewing the news cycle of early 2026.
But we have to err towards the better angels of our nature. What’s the point of, well, anything if not? Jenny On Holiday’s debut album understands this dichotomy, and chooses to be sincere and hopeful, often in spite of it all.
Aptly released so early in the year, when our cautiously optimistic mode is at its most prevalent, the first solo effort from Let’s Eat Grandma vocalist Jenny Hollingsworth is an exercise in accomplished, sugary pop-rock.
The overarching mood is emotive and honest; a very human milieu that it’s impossible not to engage with.
Every Ounce Of Me captures the vibe; a large-scaled synth-led anthem that, while it sounds like ‘80s pop-rock, utilises a very contemporary lyrical perspective that is nervous, fragile and seeking connection.
This lyrical standpoint is consistently engaging and very emotionally-charged. However, the synth-glazed music is never quite as interesting. Dolphins is a spare, familiar ballad, while the more energetic Do You Still Believe In Me? lacks the rhythmic nous or musical invention to really catch fire.
Nonetheless, the heart and soul on display means ‘Quicksand Heart’ is impossible not to get with on some level, particularly at this simultaneously brittle and hopeful time of year.
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