Emo is still here.
The Holiday Plan are pleasant. Pleasantly post-hardcore. Pleasantly emo. Pleasantly extremo, etc, etc. Whatever two word phrase you wish to use to describe The Holiday Plan, "pleasant" will be one of those two words. Combining dual guitar parts with infectious music always hits you hard, and in a good way. Being a part of the post-hardcore revelation sweeping the world currently, The Holiday Plan follow in the footsteps of bands like Funeral for a Friend and Hundred Reasons with their first EP "Wasting Time".
The opening track, "Wasting Time", explodes through your radio/mp3 player/high-fidelty audio entertainment system with its contagious opening riff, and proudly exclaims to the world exactly what kind of band The Holiday Plan are. Matt Rider - the vocalist, bassist, and creative supernova of THP - pushes 21st century pop-punk vocals out of his lungs, filling listeners to the brim with his pleasing vocal melodies. The rest of the EP retains this powerful atmosphere, firing out catchy song after catchy song.
The usual slow side of bands of this genre is displayed in the last track, "Black Clouds Over Hackney". Ignoring the questionable title, this will no doubt be a crowd favourite at shows, alongside "Wasting Time". The quiet introduction is overriden by guitar distortion roughly three minutes into the song, yet the song isn't ruined at all. This is The Holiday Plan at their best on this EP, showing that they can infuse different musical atmospheres, without creating utter nightmares. On that note, The Holiday Plan are a band you can send your post-hardcore children to sleep to.