When Vacationer introduced themselves in the late spring of last year there was an intriguing mystique to the project with nothing but a single song, “Trip,” released with little to no information about the band, its members or possible future releases/details. While not traditional, the air of mystique was quite successful, and arguably very helpful given the person behind the project. When album details began to leak out and some dates were set up, it was released that the brainchild of Vacationer is none other than pop-punk wunderkind Kenny Vasoli, who crooned his way into tween hearts the world over as lead singer and bassist for The Starting Line, and later Person L. Full disclosure: I was willingly one of those tweens, so the return of Vasoli was a welcomed one. However, I was as surprised as the next person with his new incarnation. Also, given the pigeonholing genre that he helped popularize in the early aughts, it makes sense that Vasoli opted to keep his identity, and thus the musical assumptions, at bay until people had enough time to come to their own decisions about Vacationer.

It would be pointless to call this a departure from his previous music as the disparate style attempts nearly everything BUT what he found initial notoriety for. As a frontman from the age of 16, Vasoli spent many of his awkward, growing up years under an emo- colored microscope that would be stifling for anyone. Vacationer is a reflection of the grown-up Vasoli who is dealing with all the things he may have missed growing up on tour. The project attempts to get its listeners to inhabit some utopian state of mind where our days are filled with skinny brunettes washing themselves under a waterfall, endless sunsets and hammocks as beds. This euphoria extends all the way to the blissful music videos and Vacationer “herb” grinders that you can buy in the album bundles. 

From the opening chirps of “Everyone Knows,” Gone is warm, humming with life. The first taste that we got of Vacationer, “Trip,” is a catchy song with limitless playability, but its “chillwave” sound is somewhat out of place within the rest of the albums organic confines. It is one of many musical experiments that Vasoli works through on the album. He has been a bass player since the start, so the low end is notably present in each song, regardless of its surroundings. The lines are often simple but helpful as focal point. Just listen to the atmospheric contrast between “Dreamlike” and “No Rules,” and you hear the only things that remain are Vasoli’s purring bass and composed tenor. 

Love or hate the music that Vasoli has created in the past, one thing that is undeniable is that he has an ear for melody. His songs make impressions on the listener and his ability to write irreplaceable hooks is prolific given his young age. The vocal melodies of many of these songs, if tweaked slightly, could be songs of yesteryear, but with his new surroundings, Vasoli is able to create catchy songs that are “cool enough” to be bloggable. He builds beautiful harmonies throughout the album, but most effectively in the gentle, drifting “Having It All.”  Also, Vasoli sounds notably less whiny these days, which helps. The song “Summer End” is the closest thing to a reimagined Starting Line song, but he throws us off the scent with a small yet effective flute line. Vasoli has always utilized harmony, but again, he has improved and expanded his influences and the result is quite rewarding.

While the whole album is an enjoyable listen, its eleven tracks can feel like three or four too many by the end. It could have worked better if they had dropped a LP and an EP. They did release the Gone EP which was only three songs, including “Trip,” that all ended up on the Gone LP. The album closer “Be With You” is certainly a track that would make the short list. The skittering, gauzy tune acts as the outro to a serene musical vacation. This album is an exciting first step in a new direction for Vasoli who will hopefully continue to evolve. Some pruning could have helped the album, but refinement is something that happens over time, and luckily Vacationer has a lot of that. – Adam G.

You’ve already probably heard a few tracks from The Walkmen’s new LP Heaven floating around the blogosphere. Well, you can now stream the album in its entirety via NPR’s First Listen. Heaven officially comes out May 29.