Technicolour delights in a variety of heartfelt, hooky pop creations from Sydney-based singer-songwriter Holly Wild, embracing the full spectrum of love, vulnerability, and self-acceptance on this self-funded sophomore album. Pairing infectious pop hooks and folk-tinged instrumentation with candid storytelling and an emotionally expressive delivery, Wild celebrates the messy contradictions of being human without sacrificing melodic immediacy.
Holly Wild shows a capacity for both momentum-filled intrigue and wonderfully culminating pop hooks, evident right away on “Pull Me In.” This magnetic opener ushers in vivid lyrical depictions of disheveled party-set chaos, with “sticky floor and music bleeding, high as kites and no one’s leaving” perspectives aligning with bouncy bass and swipes of guitar. The “we can just pretend” bridge into the “all that’s left is me and you” hook is fantastic in its tonal ascent, beckoning to “pull me in” as heightened performance emotion attains a replay-inducing quality. Laid-back piano additions bolster the ensuing verses nicely, while the track overall consumes in depicting the unexplainable pull some people can have, to the point where the room around you becomes an afterthought when in their presence.
Described as “the most literal love song on the record,” “Only You Would Do” excels with a differing arsenal, embracing acoustic strums and vibrant strings in its primary expanses. “I kind of knew that time I met you down on Palm Beach boulevard,” her lead presence recounts, ruminating on a different type of love while also lamenting on the plight of mediocre and disappointing relationships. Clap-laden rhythms and shimmering acoustics drive into the smitten title-bearing allure, as whistling lends further to the effervescent folk-pop amiability. It perfectly captures the experience of traversing to different locales, and meeting different people, but striving to come back to that one person.
The ensuing “Home Is You” continues these sentiments, as Wild performs, “I’m a cancer sign, and you know I don’t like change.” Twinkling guitars complement how changing directions is made much easier when it’s “you and me,” rather than just undertaking it alone. An anthemic “home is you” chorus invigorates with replay-inducing flair. Also impressive is the album’s title track, described by Wild as “the whole album in one song, a woman who’s everything at once and refuses to be dimmed down to fit anyone’s comfort.” A debonair bass and guitar interplay pairs with beckoning to “dive head first” if you really want it, championing defiance and self-worth in the power of being unchanged or untamed by another person.
“Wild In My Imagination” is amongst the many highlights as well. “I’m calm on the surface, but you make me nervous, it’s true,” she delivers alongside trickling guitar moodiness. “All that I do now is try to impress ya, but I could never say any of this to your face,” the heartfelt lyricism furthers, sending chills in the next segment, where the potential of love is left to the “wild in my imagination.” From spirited, vibrant pop hookiness to more emotive heart-tuggers, Technicolour is a fantastic full-length from Holly Wild.
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