In Case You Missed It: Take A Trip With Vacationer’s “Gone”

–Written by Kevin Madert

The first time I heard The Starting Line was late in the summer of 2006. As a rising high school freshman, I was content with letting music do my emotional legwork, and the Philadelphia pop-punk outfit was more than capable of doing just that. When the uncertainty and confusion of adolescence inevitably faded into the uncertainty and confusion of adulthood, TSL and lead singer/wordsmith Kenny Vasoli remained cornerstones of my musical experience.

Now I wouldn’t be boring you with tales of childhood lost without good reason, and the infinite summer vibrations of Vactioner’s 2012 debut Gone fall into that category. The group – co-founded and fronted by none other than Vasoli – makes music chill enough to warrant its own sub-genre (nu-hula). Their first album features eleven tracks of fresh, eclectic instrumentation and immersive soundscapes, with Vasoli’s warm tones floating atop it all soaked in sultry, affected static. Similarly structured but never repetitive, Gone is a relaxing afternoon on a slow-drifting boat, waves lapping in calming rhythms against the fiberglass, no destination in mind.

“Everyone Knows” sets the album off to a bouncy start in a haze of birdcalls and soft keys. “Good As New” and “Trip” are every bit as good as their single status would indicate, featuring an abundance of enticing falsetto and tropical drum beats. I could go on and highlight every track in a similar manner, but the beauty of Gone is its ability to exist as a singular entity. The album flies by – clocking in at just over a half hour – and can go through several replays before the notion to put on something else crosses your mind. Perhaps it’s the spot-on way in which Vasoli encapsulates the intangible atmospheres of summertime, and perhaps it’s this season’s ever-fleeting nature that tugs at the unconscious and pulls our fingers away from the “skip” button. Or perhaps it’s just damn good music, brought to us by a damn talented bassist-turned-sultan of chill. Either way, Vacationer’s Gone is an album I can’t recommend enough.

The group has in fact released another album in the interim – Relief hit shelves earlier this year – and is embarking on tour later this fall. After a few festival dates, the first proper stop on their journey is none other than Washington, D.C.’s Rock and Roll Hotel. You can stream Gone below, grab tickets for their September 30 D.C. show here and check out other tour dates/pertinent information here.