Featured Image: (Pacer Graphic / Darby Self)

The band Vacations was formed in 2015 in Newcastle, Australia.

The members, singer and songwriter Campbell Burns, bassist Jake Johnson, guitarist Nate Delizzotti and drummer Joseph Van Lier, released their debut EP titled Days in 2015, followed by their second album in 2016 titled Vibes.

Burns is the main singer and songwriter, as well as being one of the founding members of the band. He originally worked on the band as a solo project before he incorporated other members into it. Their music reached its peak in 2022 during the COVID-19 lockdown. Their song Young went viral on TikTok and earned them most of their fanbase, as it was well-received by the public. The song received a gold certification in the United States, Canada and Poland, then later went platinum in the United States.

After they gained recognition for their 2016 album, they had sold-out tours and were able to perform at major festivals worldwide. Though they garnered a great deal of success, it is hard to find people who listen to their music on the regular.

Vibes is one of their more popular EPs that they are widely known for, including popular titles such as Home and Young; each song has a relaxed feel. This is a mini-review of their work on this particular EP and a general sense of their music.

Home:

This is the perfect song to ground you on a day that you have nothing to do but stay in the comfort of your home. The actual lyrics remind you to take a moment and slow down: “It’s no worries, I’ve got nowhere to be, but home.” The music in the background is soft and has a soothing tone that encourages you to either take a nap, slow down, breathe or just think about how time moves slower when you have nothing to do. I would say that this song is a good guide for college students that tend to overwork themselves and need that extra reminder to slow down. There is not always something that you need to do.

Relax:

The background music in this song emphasizes that feeling of having a day where you have nothing better to do than relax. The bass and guitar are not as irritating, but instead are very soft. Much like most of the album, I would describe it as something you could play for casual occasions and no one would bat an eye. “Relax. Take it easy. Lie down next to me. Forget your worries,”: these comforting lyrics pull the entire song together exceptionally well and make a nice affirmation for students who have struggled to let go of all of that school work from time to time.

Young:

This is one of the most somber songs on the EP, but it has a good message if you listen closely. It talks about a need for immediate gratification when you’re working towards something, but knocks you down a peg and teaches you that you need to wait and work for some things to achieve it. “You think it’s all over. Get up and try again. You’ve got to act your age, darling. Before you fall back in,”. The line “get up and try again” is a fantastic example for college students who feel like they have struggled with their classes and projects. There is not always that immediate gratification of finishing something and having it off your plate. Sometimes the project beats you down for a while, but you have to get up and work at it to get the results that you desperately want.

RECOMMENDED TRACKS: Young / Telephones / Relax / Home