Patience is a powerful tool wielded by Brooklyn dream-pop outfit No Vacation.
Over the last few years the band has been working on a collection of songs comprising their forthcoming EP, Phasing. During that time they’ve discovered new ways of rounding out their once jangly, surf-tinged sound. This evolution is no better showcased than in their new single, “Estrangers” which weaves together elements of bossa-nova rhythms, Romantic-era strings arrangements, and ethereal guitar work. Today, No Vacation are sharing Phasing‘s first cut, “Estrangers,” which Popdust has the pleasure of premiering.
No Vacation is made up of Sab Mai, Nat Lee, and Harrison Spencer. Since disbanding and then coming back together under a new name in 2017 and relocating from San Francisco to Brooklyn, No Vacation has undergone several transformations but have maintained their same lineup––and you can certainly hear this close bond in their new music. Their upcoming EP is the culmination of moving, learning, growing, and ultimately phasing into a new sound. No longer beholden to a single genre, No Vacation is leaning into the creative experimentations hinted at on previous releases such as 2017’s Intermission EP. “Estrangers”—in all of its nostalgic, emotionally-cutting glory—has the band delivering on their most instrumentally dynamic, genre-bending potential yet.
“Estrangers” opens bright and wavy, with a bittersweet sense of nostalgia lingering just below the surface. A warm guitar groove drifts effortlessly over Sab Mai’s calm lilt before a cello portion unfolds in the song’s final third, transcending the subdued, dreamlike quality of the composition. It’s an instrumentally dynamic track that never loses its composure; reminiscent of the sounds of Stereolab. Hearkening back to the shoegaze-y influences that marked the band’s earlier work while leaning into new experimentations, “Estrangers” is a groovy slice of dream-pop that unfurls in wonderfully unexpected ways. Listen below.
Phasing is due out October 18th via Topshelf Records. You can pre-save here.
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