San Holo - Bb U Ok? (2LP) - Clear Vinyl

San Holo’s second album arrives like a late night text you weren’t expecting, gentle on the surface but loaded with feeling. Released in June 2021 via Counter Records, bb u ok? takes the Dutch producer’s well-loved glow from album1 and nudges it closer to indie confessionals. The beats still pulse and bloom, but the real story is how much of Sander van Dijck’s guitar playing and voice sit at the centre. He’s long talked about bridging electronic production and songwriter instincts, and here that idea finally feels lived-in.

The title track was the first sign. “bb u ok?” rolled out ahead of the album and set the tone with a simple melody that feels like a check‑in with an old friend. It has that signature San Holo lift, the sidechain breathing under a cloud of reverb, but it’s less about a festival drop and more about letting a phrase ring in the air. “Find Your Way,” with Bipolar Sunshine, brings a bit of sunlight and movement, the kind of tune you catch yourself humming while waiting for a tram. It’s a smart pairing too. Bipolar Sunshine’s vocal warmth sits neatly over San’s guitar textures, and the track opens up without getting showy.

Across the record, the guitars do a lot of the talking. You can hear finger squeaks and roomy ambience, the sort of details that suggest small amps and mics set up close. When the synths rise, they don’t cover the strings so much as cradle them. That balance is key to why bb u ok? works. The sound is bigger than ever, yet he’s not afraid of space. On quieter passages, the kick taps instead of thumps, and a tremolo guitar phrase will carry the weight that a lead synth might have handled a few years ago. Then when the drums do punch in, it lands like fresh air.

San Holo has always excelled at emotional shorthand. He’ll use a handful of words or a single hook, then let the production colour in the rest. Here the writing leans into that limited palette and comes out more personal. The all caps sting of IT HURTS!, for example, feels like an abrupt diary entry. But instead of breaking into a wall of noise, he lets the tension coil and release in gentle waves. It’s the sound of someone choosing clarity over catharsis.

The sequencing is thoughtful too. He favours arcs that rise and settle, so the record flows like a long drive, with peaks that feel earned. There are plenty of clever production touches if you listen close. Percussion flickers on the edges of the stereo field. Vocal chops are tucked under the lead for lift rather than flash. And the distortion on certain bass lines is more guitar pedal grit than EDM fuzz, which gives the low end a human wobble.

It’s easy to trace this direction back to his “stay vibrant” period in 2020, where he dropped sketches and songs that prized feeling over polish. bb u ok? refines that instinct without sanding it down. The result feels intimate even when it booms. He toured these songs with a guitar slung low and a band‑like setup, and that makes sense the moment you spend time with the record. These tracks want to breathe, and they hold up just as well through headphones as they do on a decent pair of speakers.

On vinyl, the album really finds its shape. The bass sits round and warm, the guitars gain a bit more body, and the quieter moments benefit from the format’s natural hush. If you’ve been eyeing San Holo vinyl, this one’s a keeper, the sort of spin that pairs with late nights and open windows. You’ll see bb u ok? vinyl popping up at your local Melbourne record store from time to time, and if you’re hunting online, there are plenty of places to buy San Holo records online without paying silly money. It also sits nicely alongside other San Holo albums on vinyl, and it’s a good gateway for friends who usually live on indie playlists rather than club tracks. For folks crate‑digging in vinyl records Australia, it’s an easy recommendation.

What sticks after a few plays is how humane the album feels. San Holo still knows how to make a crowd swell, but he keeps asking small, tender questions. He lets the guitar hum, leaves a little room between the kick and the snare, and trusts that a simple phrase can carry a whole song. bb u ok? isn’t a reinvention so much as a gentle step forward. It’s a record to sit with, and maybe text a mate after the needle lifts.