Skip to main content

EP Review: Foley - 'Vacation'

by Emily McIntyre

Full of funky, shimmery indie-pop, Auckland duo Foley’s new EP ‘Vacation’ is here. Known for their infectiously catchy tunes, their latest release is no exception, and brings serotonin and summer early to 2021. Following the success of their debut ‘On My Conscience’ last year, which hit no.10 on the New Zealand album charts, as well as having a huge listenership across Spotify, people were keen to see where their sound would go next. 

The first track, 'Keep Me On My Toes', opens up the EP with a twangy bass, groovy guitar chords and syncopated hi-hats, and it’s clear Foley are back with their classic formula of a hit. Bringing ‘Vacation’ to an energetic start, the duo waste no time in introducing their fast-paced, catchy rhythms, and open the EP boldly with the statement that they’re back to produce bops. With Ash Wallace’s vocals hitting every beat in the chorus as she sings "I need you here with me, stay close, keep me on my toes,’’ the melodies are addictive, and after one listen you’ll have the song hooked in your brain. 

When it comes to sound and structure, the next song Anything Before You follows in similar footsteps; Opening slightly slower with the vocals taking the front seat, the chorus soon kicks in and is once again, addictive in its lyricism and rhythms.

Slowing things down is Better Than Love, which lets us in on a more vulnerable side of Foley,  whilst exploring the concept of loving versus the reality of the ways love can hurt us. With its slower tempo and mellow groove, the track takes a step back from the bands’ usual upbeat pop bliss, and instead gives listeners cool yet soulful melodies. Keyboard chords and electronic percussion accompanying Wallace’s vocals, there’s an RnB influence sprinkled throughout, and the track fits perfectly in the middle of the EP.

Foley don’t leave us without a funky bassline for too long and pick things up again straight away with Rendezvous. Immediately driven, the songs’ power is mirrored by the lyrics "I try not to think about it, try to keep it casual,’’ that explore the rush of feelings in a new relationship. As all instruments marry together for the chorus, it’s the perfect example of feel-good disco-pop, guaranteed to be on repeat as summer approaches. 

So Personal brings ‘Vacation’ to a close, standing out from the rest of the EP as it opens with guitar, instead of the bass that we’ve heard in other songs. As Wallace sings about an attraction so blinding, the song embodies a more traditional pop route, and wouldn’t be considered out of place in the charts. The chorus is subtle yet addictive, and the song is powered forward by its recurring guitar hook and uptempo percussion. 

‘Vacation’ is the classic sound of Foley, encapsulating everything that makes them and their music so loved, yet still offers a variation between songs that showcase their current styles and influences. Impossible to not dance along to, the EP is perfect for the warmer months and will be many people’s soundtrack to celebrating the return of normality this summer. 


Most Popular

‘Make Tattooing Safe Again’: Sheffield Based Tattoo Artist Exposed for Indecent Behaviour

 by Emily Fletcher TW: SA, Animal Abuse, Transphobia Photo Credit: @ meiko_akiz uki Recently, an  Instagram account  has been created to provide a  ‘space to safely give a voice to those who want to speak out about the behaviour of one, Sheffield based tattoo artist’. A  total of 40+ posts have been made by the above social media account regarding  one of Sheffield's most popular tattoo artists .  Thankfully, all posts are prefaced with a Content Warning prior to sharing screenshots of the messages that have been sent anonymously to the page. The majority of Content Warnings refer to sexual behaviour, abuse, and sexual assault. It is clear that there is a reoccurring theme within each submission, as many clients appear to have had the same experiences with the tattoo artist. Women, mostly, are being made to feel uncomfortable while being tattooed. One of the most vulnerable positions anyone can be in, tattoo artists should make their clients feel comfortable and safe during the pro
Read more

Now What? The Aftermath of the 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl'

by Susan Moore Here is a bit about me: I am an open, excitable, creative AFAB who is also moderately attractive. I have a unique sense of personal style and a personality that on the surface can only be described as “bubbly” and “quirky”. For this reason, dating is a nightmare. To be sure, I do not have a hard time finding dates or potential suitors. The problems arise when said dates spend some time with me and decide that I am a rare specimen, and the connection they feel with me is “unlike anything they have felt before”. Then, things go one of two ways.  Either a) they decide I am too high maintenance and no longer palatable, or  b) they choose to never look further than the surface and are content to date the idea of me rather than the real me. There is something rather interesting, perhaps funny, about my situation. It is in no way unique. I have met so many people who constantly dealt with the same problem. Even funnier still, is the fact that there is a trope that simultaneousl
Read more

Eurydice’s Last Words

by Kate Bradley I do not want to return To sit in the stalls, Of an empty black box Strewn with petals Leave the ghost light on, Let it shine like a call home, But I will not come back To turn it off alone. I learn this as we walk Our ever so solemn path Our thudding funeral march, You think we’re going back. As I trace my old steps, I fear of the day When the symphony swells, And I land my gaze On you, yet you will be Enraptured by the sound, If you did twist To turn around, You would not see me. So I am not sorry, I speak out into the empty air And I am not sorry. “Turn Around.” You do, you look You think  I fall But I run on, Arms wide open To fall in love With it all “Perhaps she was the one who said, ‘Turn around.” On the X45 bus, back from the Tyneside Cinema, I wrote a poem entitled “Eurydice’s Final Words”, after having seen “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”.  That poem was terrible, so I wrote a new one, as my response to the beautifully poignant film.  In one scene, Héloïse, an 18
Read more