At the core of Holding Pattern by The Celebrators, is an organic and bare bones indie Americana message, but somehow they managed to make their sound much bigger than that. It sounds as though you're already at the music festival. I can feel the wristband and smell the recreation. There is definitely a sense that The Celebrators are best enjoyed live, however, this album is no slouch by any means. Their aesthetic is strong, something that I believe could withstand the strains of a vast audience.
There's a lot of forward motion conveyed in this album. It has a motivational aspect to it without any cheese or unrealistic expectations. Their motivation is one that comes from reality, where there are no straight paths and setbacks are plentiful. It's all set to what feels like a rural backdrop with large sprawls of empty roads and fields. Vocalist Nicolai Carrera is a fabulous find and a wonderful painter of this imagery. He has a solid performance style that translates across the album's entire genre spectrum. Keep an ear out for when he hits those higher notes because he doesn't even remotely flinch when he does it, and I love it. There are so many albums out there that like to "call back" to music of the past. Some do it right, some do not, and then there's The Celebrators that manage to knock it out of the park. Those classic rock riffs are present, but not dated. It also never sounds overly derivative. I can take a guess as to who their influences might be, but I would never say any of these songs have been done before. I love their ability to toe the line into so many genres with just ONE SONG. I myself am incredibly finicky when it comes to country music. This is a genre that for me easily falls into eye roll zone. These guys have managed to find that sweet spot where I can't so much as sneer, well done! I love that this album was fine tuned to be a bigger than life listening experience. It knocked down the walls of my Chicago condo and brought a little fresh air in. This is an excellent production choice that makes them so distinctive and also makes me want to catch them live so badly. Whether intended or not, the production on this album was a great business decision head to toe. The album sounds amazing and makes me want to spend money - NOT an easy feat. I'm not kidding when I say these guys have something that is meant for a broad audience and I think they will find it. This is an album I could recommend to about sixty-five percent of my music loving friends. That's a pretty healthy chunk considering my friends are some of the most jaded and critical people I know besides myself. I want to congratulate The Celebrators on this album because I think it's a very solid collection of work that will take them places.
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