Recommended Tracks: ‘Daytime’, ‘The Basement’
Artists You May Like: Pinkest, No Vacation, The Antarcitcats
Local Atlanta band Lunar Vacation has been dominating the local music scene as of late. Their recognition has begun to stretch far outside of the ATL bubble, reaching not only the rest of the nation, but other parts of the world. With over 26,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and their top song, ‘Swimming’, reaching over 300,000 plays, this group of early-college teens is really starting to make their way to the top.
Earlier today, Lunar Vacation released their sophomore EP titled Artificial Flavors, a highly anticipated project for friends and fans. I’ll be the first to say that this EP is absolutely phenomenal. The four-track project is much more mature and refined than preceding EP Swell, yet somehow manages to exhibit the same dreamy, playful charm. With these four songs, the band takes the self-proclaimed “pool rock” vibe and amplifies it to a new, unimaginable level.
Opening — and my personal favorite — track ‘Daytime’ is the perfect introduction to the bundle of “flavor and energy” that is Artificial Flavors. In my opinion, this song contains some of Grace Repasky’s best lyricism and some of John Michael Young’s best synth work. There are numerous subtle nuances in the background of this track — especially by Matteo De Lurgio on keys — that make it so interesting and experimental. The light drumming by Connor Dowd and bright guitar tones from Maggie Geeslin tie this song together, creating an infectiously chill and laid-back song that anyone can groove along to. I highly recommend this track as everyone’s new summer anthem.
The following tracks, ‘Slowdown’ and ‘The Basement’, keep the vibe established by ‘Daytime’ alive! Geeslin really shows off her writing skills in these two songs, with strong solos and riffs keeping the flow of the melody. The tranquility of ‘Slowdown’ paired with the spunk and energy of ‘The Basement’ creates diversity throughout the record, while still maintaining the cohesive “Lunar Vacation” sound we all know and love.
The EP comes to a close with ‘Too Late, Colin”, a mild, dismal tune about a never-ending cycle of disappointment. This song is very mellow, but still keeps the interest of the listener without becoming stale. Repasky’s vocals are nothing short of entrancing — she conveys loads of emotion through her voice and really pulls you in with every word. Slow songs can be hard to execute, but Lunar Vacation pulled this one off with ease.
Overall, Lunar Vacation went above and beyond with Artificial Flavors. The band took a risk diving into a more experimental realm, but it certainly paid off in the long run. I highly recommend you give this EP a listen — you certainly won’t regret it! I, as well as many others, am excited to see what Lunar Vacation has in store next!
You can stream “Artifical Flavors” on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.
You can purchase it via Human Sounds Records here.
Keep up with Lunar Vacation on their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Check out Lunar Vacation in the debut issue of our eZine here.
