If I’m not mistaken, this year Vacation (Cincinatti) celebrates their 15-year anniversary. This week, Vacation (Jerome Westerkamp III, Evan Wolff, John Hoffman, and John Clooney) added their ninth full-length album to a discography that also contains two handfuls of shorter format releases.
Contrast their latest LP Rare Earth with early Vacation records, and the transformation is significant. In their earlier days, Vacation exuded a faster, grittier sound, leaning heavily into punk and garage influences. However, the evolution from their early ’10s incarnation to the rock powerhouse showcased on Rare Earth feels like a natural progression when considering their trajectory through subsequent releases. Vacation have always been anthemic, have always been arena sized ready – I wouldn’t be surprised if Dave Grohl extends this band an invitation to join Foo Fighters on their next tour.
While Rare Earth represents Vacation at their most polished and quintessentially rock, it retains the classic elements that makes this band so appealing. Think simple yet potent guitar riffs, a penchant for repetition (both musically and lyrically) that amplifies their impact, and infectious earworms that embed themselves deeper with each spin. With big hooks packed into a loud and irresistibly catchy package, this album delivers on all fronts.
Together with the release of the new Extra Arms, this is a great week for fans of rock music as imagined by punk rockers. Rare Earth is out now through Feel It Records.