This Is Lorelei
Holo Boy
DOUBLE DOUBLE WHAMMY
Best known as one half of Water From Your Eyes, Nate Amos digs deep into his solo back catalog of nearly 70 releases shared over the last 12 years for Holo Boy, his follow-up to 2024’s breakout This Is Lorelei LP Box for Buddy, Box for Star. The collection compiles an interesting assortment of tracks that range from experimental folk-pop ballads to alt-country songs caked in a powder of melancholy, to others still that lean on brighter melodies. If you’re looking for music that reflects Amos’ work with Water From Your Eyes, or the more polished songwriting of Box for Buddy, Box for Star, you won’t find it here.
Because these songs were sourced from a hodgepodge mix of Bandcamp releases, Holo Boy lacks the cohesion of a true album. Still, it’s not without its gems. The title track is the collection’s standout, with its melancholic chord progressions reminiscent of Alex G. The electric guitar here is jubilant and energizing, winsome and glowing in a bittersweet way. The catchy-yet-somber “But You Just Woke Me Up” has a War on Drugs–sounding rhythm to it as Amos yearns to dissociate and escape his thoughts. There’s another layer of earnestness and vulnerability added to these songs due to the fact that they were written by Amos some time ago. They serve as a collage of his past selves in conversation with each other. You can even hear him figuring out Box for Buddy, Box for Star in these tracks, a fascinating experience in its own right.
Although Holo Boy doesn’t possess the cohesion of Amos’ previous record, it’s an interesting look at his songwriting style at different stages of his career. You get multiple versions of This Is Lorelei to explore, hearing his humble stylistic beginnings with the bonus of finding some compelling B-sides.
