Technically speaking, “Vacation Forever” by Poppy Roscoe is an existential question wrapped in an indie rock blanket, dipped in folk warmth, and sprinkled with just enough psychedelic seasoning to make you think about whether hummingbirds ever get tired of flying. But let’s not get caught in the feathers.
The four-piece from Los Angeles is dealing with bigger beasts than exhausted birds here. Izzy Fortune leads the charge with his lyrical curiosity, poking at the absurdity of wanting to flee while knowing deep down there’s nowhere to run. How do you “vacation forever” from life when life is the vacation? Cue Adam Pena’s guitar, which feels more like a beckoning force—there’s something both eerie and comforting about it, as if it’s telling you to jump into the unknown… but only after finishing your laundry.
And let’s not overlook the foundation. Jacob Smith may be on drums, but it feels like he’s drumming on your conscience—a steady pulse reminding you that escape comes only in short bursts. Meanwhile, newcomer Dahlia Grizzard slips in seamlessly, accentuating the track’s floaty undertones. Max Meeder’s guitars flirt with the idea of dissolution but never quite let go, making sure we stay tethered—just enough reality to stop us from drifting off into oblivion but plenty of space to breathe.
The real punch here? Desire is a funny thing. Poppy Roscoe knows it’s laughable, tragic even. Everyone’s craving escape, a ‘forever vacation,’ but as the layers of the track reveal, the real horror is finding that the thing we want to escape from is the thing we built: “civilized society.”
Listening to “Vacation Forever” is like looking at a postcard from nowhere.
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