Folk-rock fans rejoice! Philadelphia’s Dirty Holiday released their debut EP, Nobody’s Sober, at the start of the new year and it is amazing. Though the band is a fairly new unit, its members have been involved in the world of music for some time now. The member’s accumulated experience and passion really shows through the various layers of each track. The five-track EP showcases smooth, psychedelic guitar and keyboard; pulsing and upbeat rhythm; resonating backup vocals; and poignant lyrics and lead vocals by Katie Barbato.

As a whole, the album is an elevating and an earnest collection of reflections. To kick-off, the EP’s first single, “Mountains,” makes use of each member’s strengths—particularly Barbato’s soulful voice. Moreover, the guitar playing (Rogers Stevens from Blind Melon) on this track is coupled perfectly with energetic percussion (Georg Beck).

“Circles,” the second track is slower and softer than the rest of Dirty Holiday’s debut EP, which is undeniably high-energy with punchier melodies. It is in this song, however, that I think Barbato’s songwriting makes every element of “Circles” poetic. There is a cool transition in tone, from the dreamy sounds right before the chorus to the yearning crooning of the chorus, which is punctuated by the accompanying lyrics.

Even if you aren’t a fan of folk, I recommend this EP on the merits of Barbato’s distinctive voice alone. As a debut, Nobody’s Sober is a definite success. Speaking from my experience, it leaves you hoping more will come soon.