Vacations in their “Pursuit of Anything”
Album cover courtesy of Vacations
Pursuit of Anything sees the indie rock band Vacations contemplate their lives and the growing pains that come with being together for so long. From witnessing each other’s major life events, like having children and getting married, to thinking introspectively on the changes they’ve undergone as individuals, the band’s new album is vulnerable, raw, and emotional—and I love it.
Photograph by Pooneh Ghana
The Australian four-piece band jump straight into the new record with “Congratulations", an opener that quickly swells as layers of ambient guitars, steady drums, and pensive vocals all join in for the hard-hitting chorus: “For the first time/ You’re alive/ Can you tell me what that’s like?/ At the end of it all, what will remain?/ As the choir calls out your name”. The band wastes no time introducing the underlying tone of the album as serious and reflective through these lyrics. Closing the track with strings, a violin and an acoustic guitar, we end with a clear idea of the direction the band are taking on their fourth album.
“Yesterday” is a fun one, bringing a new perspective to their old sound. Their signature groove is present, but the lyrics show a transformed, mature side to the band. Talking about growing up and analyzing the different versions of themselves over time, singer Campbell Burns says, “If you could see yourself now/ Well, what would you say?/ Would you stay the same, or change your ways?”. I love how direct the band are with their lyrics throughout the record. They save the decorative, elaborate measures for the instruments to communicate through—using effects and layers—and keep their lyrics straight to the point. As someone who is an active music listener, this kind of composition is my favorite because there are so many carefully designed parts of the song to dissect and take in every time I hit play.
“Ready or Not” and “Last Call” sound like classic upbeat dance tracks, contrary to their lyrics that do a deep dive into the thorny worlds of love, relationships, and being out of sync with one another.
The speed of the album switches through a mellowed out “Fooling You,” giving us a chance to really sit with this feeling of growing up and having to accept change, no matter how scary it is. Bassist Jake Johnson’s part in this one helps push it forward, the steady groove driving the energy of the track.
One of my favorite little details on the record happens in “I See Myself In You,” through the audible mechanics of the keys as the chords play repeatedly. The dense piano part coupled with the heavy opening lines adds to the undeniable weight of the song as it discusses familial dynamics and how members’ identities can overlap over time. Burns notes reflecting on his own relationship with his parents in this one and looking toward his future. He considers the ways he has become like his parents through shared lived experiences and growing similar personalities. He questions if that cycle will continue with his own children down the road. The instrumentals on this one mimic the movement of relationships through sudden pauses and conversations between guitars. It has every part work together in harmony to build up the last chorus before moving into the outro which highlights this soft, peaceful acceptance, leaving us with a quiet moment of clarity.
The band give so much of themselves through the album’s track list, each song showing us a new side of them. A perfect culmination of the band’s work over the years, Pursuit of Anything is definitely deserving of a listen.