Ontario pop-punk five-piece Seaway chase up 2015’s LP Colour Blind with Vacation – a bright & summery slice of feel-good, generously topped off with a dollop of 90s/00s nostalgia that’ll clog your aural arteries with a warm, fuzzy familiarity – By Christie-Luke Jones.
Opening track Apartment crashes out of the gate with a New Found Glory-esque buzz that just begs to kickstart your weekend road trip. The drums tumble and crash with jackhammer purpose and the chorus digs its hooks in early like any pop-punk anthem worth its weight in bounce should.
The thick, crunchy riffs and crowd-friendly choruses proceed to come thick and fast with Neurotic and London – there’s more than a hint of Lit about both tracks, but with production this tight and the band’s eagerness to please so infectious, who gives two shits if it sounds a bit derivative?
Granted, with the exception of the refreshingly reflective Misery in You, Seaway’s lyrics rarely aspire to break any particularly new ground. Lula on the Beach, Curse Me Out, and Day Player exploit the same genre tropes their esteemed pop-punk forbearers did in previous decades, but if you can look beyond the repeated musings on touring blues, lost loves, and an apparent need to experience almost all of life’s dramas on a sun-soaked strip of sand, there’s still lots to enjoy.
There are some nicely atmospheric touches peppered throughout, too – Day Player and 40 Over boast shimmering, SoCal guitar licks and guest vocalist Caleb Shomo drips black tar emotion all over the breakdown on Scatter My Ashes Along the Coast or Don’t.
Vacation is, quite simply, a very slick and undoubtedly enjoyable pop-punk record. Seaway wear their various influences very much on their sleeves and in their frankness capture much of what made the bands of their youth so unwaveringly fun. If pogoing along to catchy hooks and power chords didn’t do it for you back in the day, it’s doubtful that Vacation will change your mind. But for those of you who like your music big, bright, and bouncy, Seaway have you covered.
7.5/10