Based out of Philadelphia, Vacationer’s most recent album Mindset was released on June 22, 2018. They haven’t performed across the U.S. since their North American tour in 2018, but that doesn’t mean they’re irrelevant. It’s been close to a year since their last release, and the band is still worth listening to.
It’s “Magnetism,” as Kenny Vasoli, the lead singer for the band, would sing. To give you an idea of what you’re dealing with, the genre of their music is “Nu-hula.” This is essentially a mixture of colorful sounds that help you feel like you’re walking on a beach.
The whole album is ear candy, especially the song “Being Here.” This tune is particularly interesting because it slowly sneaks up on you while sedating you. Listening to it is like falling backwards, in slow motion, towards a bright blue swimming pool on a hot Summer day. It’s just refreshing.
Overall, the music by Vacationer is not like any other genre. At first listen, you’d probably expect the origins of the band to come from Hawaii. Mindset involves a lot of synth and a hint of R&B, so the beats feel gentle and smooth. Therefore, it’s not a difficult listen, seeing how there’s no issue of lyrical overload to irritate you.
However, the lack of lyrics is one of the downsides to the album, because there are often times where the listener might have a difficult time understanding what the singer is talking about due to the ambiguity of the lyrical structure. Therefore, the general vibe to each song feels open for interpretation. Nevertheless, the instrumentals help support the vague ballads.
For example, the song “Turning” exemplifies the ambiguity of slowly timed lyrics, as much of what Vasoli is singing about just seems to repeat itself in a confusing fashion, which doesn’t necessarily explain the message he’s trying to convey. However, in contrast to his repetitive words; his beats and soothing vocals make the experience entertaining.
Even though the album contains a few songs with a lack of lyrical structure, the vocals of Vasoli are crisp and well spoken. His word choices are mesmerizing in the way that draw you closer to understand the nature of his stories. The singer/songwriter has a way of projecting himself as ominous, as he surrounds your ears with beachy instrumentals. Henceforth, the Mindset experience by Vacationer is relaxing and introspective.
Edge Rating: 4/5 Stars.
Top 5 Songs:
- Being Here
- Entrance
- Late Bloomer
- Strawberry Blonde
- Euphoria
