Mr Holt hails originally from Liverpool, UK, and lives, learns and crafts his music in windy ol’ Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. He’s a singer and songwriter who used to specialise in Irish folk and cabaret before branching out into soundscape, spoken word and instrumental music, and March of the Anorax is the newest and possibly the record Barry Holt is most proud of to date.

He has candidly stated: “Always a big fan of music for film and genre composers, it very recently dawned on me that these tracks are my own personal way of paying homage to that, which has given me so much pleasure”.

Being a music reviewer with a great imagination who prides himself on his ability to listen to music, and paint a mental picture or pair it with a cinematic sequence of events, I relished the idea of venturing into March of the Anorax and hearing what it had to offer.

The namesake March of the Anorax leads the way with an ambling acoustic guitar line that wanders and strides back and forth, like a collective of intoxicated clowns clambering to call it a day. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s a delightful exploration of atmosphere and character, seemingly with an emphasis on the prosaic and the jaded.

For those wondering if the record has started off on a slow footing - Fear not! Anna’s Theme and Luca Brassy are here to jazz everything up a notch.
In the former, there’s an unabashed dose of keyboard trumpets that evoke the fluttering lilt of one’s heart in love, then in the latter, an urgent rush of style and pomposity. Interestingly, the two seem aurally compatible when heard as portions of a story; a denouncement between rival clans emerges, with a decree discouraging the kinship of two central characters.

That’s how I perceive it anyway.

Similarly, in some ways, Just Deserts and Sun in the West could also be considered companion pieces, with the former dancing between jazz-inspired prances, as though in passion and fervour, then the latter portraying a parched and lost traveller, uncertain of his or her next steps. Perhaps a disposition of what is and what is yet to be.

On occasions, there are instrumentals that remind me of video games from my adolescent days. There’s the retro-sounding The Experiment, and Adventure Kid, which resemble a soundtrack from a bygone childhood era. Homage aside, a great deal of these tracks could even feature as video game music!

Tracks which feature Barry Holt’s guitar work seems to hold the most sway on this record. Letting keyboards sit back as support on tracks like Just Deserts, Ode to the Penguin, seems to allow Holt’s work shine brightest. Having said that, there are numerous highlights that don’t count on any other instrument than the keyboard, like the virtuosic Russian Ice Disco.

There’s no shortage of excellent ideas here on March of the Anorax. The development of soundscapes is powerful, while the incorporation of Barry Holt’s guitar abilities coupled with explorations of keyboards and computer-generated synths take the main stage.

Moments of tremendous cinematic potential can be heard, noticeably on Sun in the West. The instrumentation riffs on the title of the track with great imagination and captures the mood well. In certain sections, the intensity and focus of the music layers clash and become overwhelming.

At times, the employment of keyboards feels overused, as beats loop and synthesisers bounce up and down zealously.

But perhaps lush, high-budget productions are not what the endgame is really about. March of the Anorax feels like something of a blueprint, a proof-of-concept, a taste of what Mr Holt is capable of beyond a guitar and keyboards. He could be composing a musical, incidental music, film score, experimental electronica, background music for a kid’s cartoon. You name it, there’ll be elements of it on this collection of tracks.

Adaptability and versatility is the aim.

• 1
  Head Like A Hole
• 2
  Fraser Ross
• 3
  Horror Story
• 4
  Fur Patrol
• 5
  Michelle Rounds
• 6
  L.A.B.
• 7
  Wash
• 8
  Devilskin
• 9
  The Boondocks
• 10
  Late to Chelsea

• 
  Butter Wouldn't Melt @ Kumeu Showgrounds, Auckland - 26/01/2025
• 
  You, Me, Everybody @ Kumeu Showgrounds, Auckland - 26/01/2025
• 
  Tess Liautard & Jessie Shanks @ Kumeu Showgrounds, Auckland - 26/01/2025
• 
  Holly Arrowsmith @ Kumeu Showgrounds, Auckland - 26/01/2025

• 1
  APT.
  ROSÉ And Bruno Mars
• 2
  DIE WITH A SMILE
  Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars
• 3
  BIRDS OF A FEATHER
  Billie Eilish
• 4
  TASTE
  Sabrina Carpenter
• 5
  I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
  Gracie Abrams
• 6
  ESPRESSO
  Sabrina Carpenter
• 7
  SAILOR SONG
  Gigi Perez
• 8
  LOSE CONTROL
  Teddy Swims
• 9
  A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
  Shaboozey
• 10
  GOOD LUCK, BABE!
  Chappell Roan

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