Los Angeles-based four-piece indie rock band DreamVacation, comprised of Ray Silva (vocals), Gerry Matthews (bass, backing vocals), Morgan Terrinoni (guitar), and Noah Alexander (drums), released their self-titled EP recently; the band members’ personal stories over the last three years have been rife with hardship—they’ve endured breakups, living out of rehearsal spaces or cars, marriages falling apart, and family deaths. From this adversity, the band learned to write as a group, forging an album made of four songs that are shining examples of what’s enticingly attractive about indie rock.
The EP is cohesive, yet each song has a unique personality. The opening track, “Window Room”, begins with an ominously spare guitar lick, which evolves into a lush and shimmering wave of guitar; “Press Play”, the second song, begins in a similar way, and breaks into a “Billie Jean”-esque bass groove that provides a firm foundation for Terrinoni’s razor-like guitar riffs that cut through minor-key haze, making way for Silva’s moody vocals. “End Of Time” is a brooding promise, as Silva sings “I’ll care for you”, with quiet murmurs and celestial backing vocals.
“Red Water”, the final track, and my personal favorite, invokes the spirit of early U2; Silva’s vocals are Bono-esque, but possess an easy-going quality that fits so comfortably into the wall of glistening guitar and laid-back energy that is consistent throughout the entire record. DreamVacation is purely delightful ear candy, and I can’t wait to hear what’s next from this group.
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