Avatari – Holidaze (2023)
With a confident swagger and bold grin, singer-songwriter Ari Welkom owns the stage whenever he performs. His confidence is not merely a consequence of several years fronting bands, having his music featured in Amazon and Netflix series, or performing at festivals like SXSW and Outside Lands Festival. Welkom’s confidence comes from his soul oozing passion, panache and powerful connections with audiences.
The solo project of UK-based musician Ari Welkom, Avatari has a distinctive brand of rock and pop executed in an anthemic way. Technically formed in 2020, just before the Covid-19 lockdowns, Welkom tucked himself away to hone a unique and sophisticated sound, and now he delivers it to the world. This is my introduction to the talented artist so come with me as I jump into his latest single ‘Holidaze’.
Following the well-received singles ‘Broke’ and ‘Faith’, Avatari ends 2023 with a blast of a holiday song – his first holiday song to be exact. Yet, while we expect a jovial pump of pop sweetness from those Christmas singles, ‘Holidaze’ brings a different side to the fore. Unlike Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas’ or Frank Sinatra’s ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’, ‘Holidaze’ touches on family disconnection and the painfulness of being alone during the festive season. Avatari explains:
“’Holidaze’ is my first ever holiday song. It’s about the other side of the holidays, the side that’s painful, nostalgic and gut-wrenching. It’s about a guy who’s lost his way and become disconnected from his life, his family and himself.”
Bringing his signature pop-rock sound to our ears, ‘Holidaze’ is a sliver of 90s pop-rock executed with a contemporary indie-rock edge. In other words, the vibe of the song is hard-hitting falling more into rock than pop and as enjoyable as ever. Interestingly, while the bold instrumentation exudes a sense of melancholy in the melody, Avatari’s rich vocals wrap you in a comfortable blanket. Lilts of a Christmas jingle flutter in the background with joyful hopefulness hidden along the vulnerable tune.
In addition to the single, Avatari released an official lyric video for ‘Holidaze’. You can view the video below or on his YouTube channel.
Find out more about Avatari on his official website, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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