Album Review: Seaway - 'Vacation After'

After almost two years since their last release, Canadian quintet Seaway are back in the pop punk game with forthcoming release, Vacation. Having received some serious praise for their backlog of angsty releases, it was almost certain that this LP was set to be a success.

From the off, it’s clear that these guys are sticking to their roots; opener Apartment is the epitome of pop punk perfection, connecting high tempo hooks with an overwhelmingly catchy chorus. The perfect choice for this album’s opening hit.

Neurotic flows into a blissfully nostalgic 90’s pop rock rhythm. Despite taking on the more pop-esque approach, frontman Ryan Locke’s vocals blend flawlessly into this single’s sound. Pairing the vocal with some electric riffs makes this song one of the front runners. Something Wonderful + London follow this theme – co vocalist Patrick Carleton accentuates the fun loving vibe in these singles, which effortlessly runs through this release, much like previous album Colour Blind. These singles offer all the nah nah nah’s you could dream of.

This 90’s theme almost blends through the entire 40 minutes – however, Curse Me Out doesn’t carry the excitement that is found in the rest of the album. The single lacks energy, which particularly shines through due to the rest of the release being firmly planted on cloud nine. Despite this single not being to my taste, it’s extremely hard to fault the rest of the album.

Personal highlight comes in the form of Car Seat Magazine – Locke’s raw vocal tone is nothing short of perfect, complimenting the incessantly bouncy aesthetic of the single.

And it wouldn’t be a Seaway release without at least one slow song – 40 over follows the footsteps of Stubborn Love, with Carleton’s higher vocal telling a meaningful story, which entails passion and upset. The leap down from their previous explosive sound ranks Seaway much higher than ever before – this tale of relationships and struggle is admired on a scale which Seaway hadn’t reached until now.

Whilst previous release Hoser was incessantly explosive, Vacation takes a much more mature and concise yet ridiculously fun feel, which highlights the quartet’s progression over the past few years. This release is light, bouncy and fun, whilst encompassing all of our favourite elements of angsty pop punk. A worthy release of 2017, which suggests Seaway have a lot more to come in the future.

Review by Cait Briggs