Cast your minds back if you dare to 2020, the year we thought it would be impossible to top in terms of just how jaw-droppingly outrageous were the events unfolding worldwide. As winter rolled round with many people feeling isolated or separated from the lives they knew, Japanese post-rockers MONO felt compelled to make a gift for the holiday season with a simple accompanying message, “Wishing everyone good health, happiness, and good cheer in the new year. These songs were written with the idea of new hope for the new year since 2020 has become unforeseeably dark for many in the world.”
The gift in question was the first incarnation of Scarlet Holiday, a two track EP that offered a moment of peace amongst the chaos. Fast forward to a year later and the events of 2021 were still proving to be just as bleak, so once again MONO decided to re-work the previous holiday offering and expand it with the inclusion of a brand new song ‘Epilogue’. Finally, this year see’s the originally digital-only release make its way onto vinyl with helping hands from longtime collaborator Steve Albini (Big Black, Shellac) as well as being newly mixed and mastered by John McEntire and Bob Weston.
Though Scarlet Holiday may well be a winter holiday themed release, thank the music gods that there’s not a single jingle bell or mention of the C-word (no not that one…) in sight. Instead Scarlet Holiday is a blissful slice of wintery post-rock that conjures images of falling snow, flurries, the eerie calm once it’s settled and of course the comfort of watching the aforementioned from the warmth of home. Title track and main feature ‘Scarlet Holiday’ is a slow burner, it’s every bit as atmospheric as it is emotive and hopeful without the bold use crescendos we’ve come to expect from the band.
‘First Winter’ and ‘Epilogue’ however are far more minimalistic and meditative, the latter filled with soaring vocals of a lullaby-ish quality to them a beautiful addition and send off that rounds out the closing moments of the record. When looking back at Mono’s recent album Pilgrimage of the Soul, these two tracks are comparable to the instrumental pieces ‘Heaven in a Wild Flower’ and ‘An Eternity in an Hour’ in that they’re far more stripped back and delicate than the enormity Mono are capable of producing. The only downside to these songs is that they’re relatively short, could it be that this is just a teaser of what to expect from the band in future or are they simply soothing ditties.
Scarlet Holiday may not be considered an “essential” piece in the Mono back catalogue but with the current state of the world it offers a much needed pause, to exhale and momentarily lose yourself in a serene wintery landscape full of wonderment and tranquillity.