Vacation – Transmissions 7.6

                Vacation returns with a series of covers for Transmissions. Actually most of these don’t really resemble the originals. Each one has its own specific personality. It has been a while since I heard their violins and cellos. I missed them. Glad they have returned to the forefront. 

                Opening with the song ‘Awful Bliss’ is never a bad idea. Guided by Voices was a solid band and I somewhat miss them. Here the cover is rather enjoyable, short and to the point. The Joanna Newsom cover brings together the violins of theirs. I’m reminded of Vacation’s first song ‘Neutral Acid King’ with this particular piece. The slow movement works well for them particularly in these first two pieces. 

                ‘Close to Me’ the Cure cover, is the longest cover. It is a playful track. Little plucks and violins come together to re-create the 80s hit. Even the vocals (which for Vacation are usually rather nervous sounding) have a giddy feel to them as they playfully wonder around. Electronic effects are slowly added to the mix before falling out completely. 

                Finally, it comes to a close with a Pavement cover of ‘We Dance’. Vacation uses the female vocalist exclusively for this track. That works for me considering Stephen Malkmus’s weird voice in general. Perhaps this is my favorite song on all of Transmissions. It has a great deal of tenderness. Of course I’d have some familiarity with Pavement, what kind of music snob would I be without it? 

                This is a sweet collection.