The Vacation – Band From World War Zero / 2006 American / 11 Tracks / http://www.thevacationmusic.com / http://www.americanrecordings.com / Reviewed 01 April 2006

At first blush, The Vacation start off “Band From World War Zero with a style that is something that has been heard before. This means that the band grooves to a classic rock style that is punctuated with inclusions of different bits of current rock. Repetition is used to drive home a hook-filled melody that will undoubtedly make it to the ears of listeners worldwide, with the break downs present differentiated enough from the rest of the track to really make a difference.

The classic rock style that individuals first hear during “White Noise” is worked on during “I’m No Good” to include just the perfect amount of punk sneer. The confidence that was first exerted by the band at the beginning of the disc is continued, and “I’m No Good” is a track that is changed up to allow listeners to maintain their interest. It is only during “Cherry Cola” that the first vestiges of a slower style come to the fore of this disc. The style of the track is really only a slowed down version of the first few tracks that eventually breaks free. This has the added effect of continuing the same type of sound throughout the early stages of “Band From World War Zero” and allows individuals to hear a few different facets of The Vacation’s style. While the tracks are all fairly similar to each other, individuals need not worry; the band does well in the limited scope of their music to continue innovating during the thirty-five minutes of this disc.

Throwing a little bit of Iggy Pop (and by extension Placebo) into the mix for “Destitute Prostitutes”, The Vacation have their first-pumping anthem during this track. This track is wholly differentiated from the hard-rocking “Make Up Your Mind”, which has an angular set of guitars that bring The Vacation into the twenty-first century. While not directly aping Franz Ferdinand on this track (in regard to the guitars), there is nonetheless a strong influence present. One just wants to dump on this album, say it was tired or repetitive but quite the opposite occurs here. Each track gives listeners something else to love about The Vacation, while the disc as a whole can be taken as a set of exercises on how to make a current brand of rock that looks back every few minutes. Give The Vacation a listen before the band makes it big.

Top Tracks: Trash, I’m No Good

Rating: 6.5/10

[JMcQ]