Ready, Steady, Go!

A significant improvement over its predecessor, Holiday's second album Ready, Steady, Go! retains the twee pop affectations but finds more room for great guitar hooks, squiggly synths, and an altogether sprightlier outlook. Once again produced by Dave Trumfio with help from the band, Holiday's sophomore effort is peppered with references to groups as varied as the Cars and New Order, but such shameless tips of the hat would only be a problem if the songwriting wasn't strong on its own merits. "Prostitutes In Town" begins as a homage to New Order's "Love Vigilantes" before a cathedral-ready organ enters to great effect, transforming the track from a minor ditty to a more moving mini-anthem. "Here We Are Again" and "The Likely End of Our Best Days" have their way with the classic Stax sound and British Invasion pop, respectively, both songs complete with horn charts courtesy of Dave Max Crawford, while "Still In Love" handily sums up everything that made the Cars so cool, in less than two minutes. If singer/songwriter Josh Gennet still seems to favor wimp pop to rock, the album's more adventurous embellishments bolster the sometimes wispy melodies, making Ready, Steady, Go! more pleasant, fun, and catchy than it could have been.