REVIEW: New Translations Explore Dissonance on ‘Vacation’
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY KIARA ALMANZAR ☆
DESPITE THE NAME, NEW TRANSLATIONS’ VACATION ISN’T YOUR TYPICAL SUMMER SOUNDTRACK—it represents more than just a break from reality. It’s a dissociation, a necessary step back from the “everyday slog of life” to process complex emotions and experiences. As explained by frontman Oliver Pierce, the album delves into themes of self-realization, family dynamics, past relationships, and friendships in rudimentary obscurity.
The band's creative process has evolved significantly leading up to Vacation. Having relocated to Nashville, the core trio initially felt like outsiders in a city dominated by country music. However, the addition of drummer Philip Walker and multi-instrumentalist Andres Algato opened up their tightly knit creative process, leading to a more collaborative and expansive sound. Working with producer Jared Quarter at Polychrome Ranch further solidified this evolution, allowing the band to trust outside perspectives and elevate their music to new heights. This collaboration extended to co-writing with other Nashville artists and featuring guest musicians, enriching the album's sonic tapestry.
The band embraces contradictions, not as a conscious artistic choice, but as a reflection of the disorienting nature of life itself. Their music, much like the world around us, is full of unresolved chords and dissonance. This intentional disorientation allows listeners to find comfort in shared experiences of confusion and overwhelm. The band's diverse cultural backgrounds—from Kentucky and Michigan to Mexico, Colombia, and New Orleans— further contribute to their unique sound, creating a melting pot of influences that transcends any specific genre.
The album opens with the ironically titled "Post Hang," where the line "Even in the worst of all the days" hangs heavy over a voicemail-like vocal delivery, immediately hinting at the complexities beneath the surface. The ambient soundscape quickly intensifies, building into an electric, almost physical drumming rhythm that resonates deep within the listener’s veins, heart, and head—an audio totality. The recurring question, "What's the point of saving money?" adds a layer of existential questioning to this unsettling “vacation.”
The album's playful irony is evident throughout. "Rat People," with its almost romantic undertones, explores the push and pull of playful obsession and the intoxicating allure of someone beautiful. This lightheartedness, however, takes a darker turn with the title track, "Vacation." Here, the narrative shifts towards a more personal and turbulent space, evoking a sense of internal struggle and reaching what feels like a breaking point for the narrator.
"who am i tonight" offers a stark contrast, providing a vocal and lyrical reset. The smooth, stone-like quality of the vocals juxtaposes with self-deprecating and almost antagonistic lyrics. The speaker, despite their flaws, remains a romantic at heart, revealing a vulnerability beneath the cynical exterior.
After the reset, a shift occurs, and the album goes from a personal “I” and “me” to a more outward-facing “you.” The shift isn’t merely lyrical but spreads across sonically. “Sally,” “Weatherman,” and “Sheriff” have a gentler familiarity to them, tapping into a synth pop-rock sound with bridges to elevate the album altogether. “Sally” has a moment of sacrilegious empowerment, finding a balance between past old patterns and a future of one’s own terms. “Weatherman,” on the other hand, is a long tirade against a fleeting romance, pickled with detachment and nostalgia that holds too close to bear. In “Sheriff,” the sound overwhelms the vocals, becoming the primary storyteller. There’s a single key playing on repeat if you listen closely to the back instruments, and once you hear it, it becomes impossible to ignore, mirroring the internal turmoil you can’t quite articulate.
At its core, Vacation is a love album refracted through a lens of self-deprecation, disillusionment, and surrealist imagery that borders on hallucinatory. It’s a confession whispered in the dark, or maybe it’s a confession yelled at the top of your lungs while you’re standing at an overpass. The album's unique sound defies easy categorization: It's not quite alternative, not quite indie, but occupies a liminal space somewhere in between, perhaps best described as a chilling, ambient rock infused with synth and driving drum rhythms. It's a sound that mirrors the eternal landscape of longing and unease, a place where beauty and devastation intertwine.
With Vacation finally arriving after years of development, the band hopes listeners will find solace and connection in its introspection. They see the album as a reflection of the turbulent times in which it was created, offering a space for listeners to "lose themselves" and find comfort in shared experiences. An upcoming tour supporting acts like Arts Fishing Club, Vlad Holiday, and Rainbow Kitten Surprise will further introduce their music to new audiences. The band is already working on their second album, continuing their journey of musical exploration and evolution.
