VLAD HOLIDAY IS UNDER HIS INFLUENCES IN MY FAVORITE DRUG

An album was never supposed to happen according to Vlad Holiday, but some stories ache to be told. 

Born in Romania, Vlad Holiday and his family fled his home country to reside in New York where he developed a love for lo-fi, using vintage equipment to give personality to his recordings. Largely influenced by the feeling of un-belonging, his story unravels in My Favorite Drug, detailing his doomed relationship with substances to his destiny as a hopeless romantic. 

My Favorite Drug is a debut shrouded in darkness. The album begins with the haunting “This Was Always Gonna End,” where he dips into his lowest vocal range to question, “What’s the point of getting so hung up/Let’s get fucked up/And lose our minds.” He lays out one of the sonic and lyrical themes of the album here, alluding to both drug use and depression. While being lackadaisical, its commitment to theme makes it a compelling opener.

The narrative of the project seemingly begins in a drug-induced haze, but there are moments when Holiday opts for sober acoustics and tell-all writing. Songs are strategically clustered together, beginning with sexy and smoldering tracks, moving into romantic ballads toward the middle and finally ending in introspection. Holiday keeps his opening promise however, and “Don’t Even Try” seems to end us in the numbness where we began. The finale, “Sink Into Me” may suggest progress as he sings, “I’m not afraid anymore,” but it’s vague enough where it may point to relapse. 

The undeniable highlight of this album is “Father Figure,” where he confesses the grief of being raised by an emotionally abusive parent: “You said I was raised wrong/And that destroyed me.” The beginning instrumentation with contrasting pianos is the first earth-shattering element, but the intimate writing that follows hurts just as hard. As much as Holiday shines on seductive vocals and fuzzy riffs, he is undeniable when divulging. 

While the sequencing seemingly points to narrative in this album, it is perhaps My Favorite Drug’s biggest weakness. Three of the singles, the Matt Schultz (Cage the Elephant) co-written, “Closer,” “I Don’t Wanna Party Anymore” featuring Kacey Musgraves and “Downtown Baby” sink together due to their similar tempo and placement next to each other. Musgraves’s contrasting voice on “I Don’t Wanna Party Anymore” somewhat helps break some of the monotony, but its flair overshadows “Downtown Baby” afterwards. While Holiday breaks the pattern after these three, there are a couple more spots where the placement of two songs together forces them to compete because of their similarity. “We’ll Never Be Rich” follows a similarly cinematic “Long Long Gone,” and “Father Figure” outshines its predecessor and the title track, “My Favorite Drug.” 

Placement aside, “Keep Me Wondering” and “Downtown Baby” are achingly similar, and the latter sounds a bit too much like the Holiday co-written song, “Neon Pill” by Cage the Elephant. It’s a catch-22: his vocal performance and production style are his greatest assets, but his consistency and distinctness border repetition. 

While wearing his influences on his sleeve, Holiday brings a modern take on the oldies. “Long Long Gone” is a cinematic ode to ‘50s heartbreak songs–Ricky Nelson’s “Lonesome Town” comes to mind. The title track, “My Favorite Drug,” nearly sounds like a depressed remake of Elvis’s, “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” with a choral backing and organic guitar take. He borrows a bit from his influences, but he throws 808s over doo-wop samples and lets his slowcore vocals brush against fluttery synths and bright strings, giving the outdated sounds new life. His collection of vintage recording equipment makes consistent appearances as well: the humming of an old amp acts as a backdrop or the metallic sound of an old microphone adds dimension into his vocals. 

On his drowsy debut, Vlad Holiday gives us a taste of his favorite drug, and while compelling, there are moments where even the attentive production can’t fight through the smoke. The record is weighted down by repetition, but paradoxically, Holiday proves he has enough songwriting range to break from that sameness. My Favorite Drug is a project that chases highs but shines the brightest in the clarity of comedown.