Okay, so the summer of 2020/21has technically ended and we’re already embracing the chillier mornings and nights of autumn, but that’s all the more reason to welcome Foley’s new project ‘Vacation’ as a groove-filled extension to those good vibes of summer.
Auckland-based pop act Foley is vocalist Ash Wallace and guitarist Gabriel Everett. The duo released their second EP following three released singles, promoting it with a mini tour that culminated with a sold-out Auckland show at the Tuning Fork in late March.
The initial single released, Rendezvous, set the tone for ‘Vacation’. An escape, a much-needed getaway and most likely driving with the windows down, living in the moment blasting these back to back bops on full volume.
Keep Me On My Toes, the first track of the EP, is a dance beat that gets your feet tapping. Anything Before You which follows is another dancefloor jam, adding to Foley’s concrete list of singles that are undeniable bops. So Personal, has its own unmistakable groovy guitar riff that hooks listeners in right from the intro. Easily absorbed into Everett’s catchy fast-paced rhythmic sequence just as it is with meeting someone who has caught your attention instantly.Everett’s playing echoes Wallace’s voice, “…and I might move in closer now” cementing the magnetic lines of the chorus.
Better Than Love is a mid-EP palette cleanser, with a soundscape resembling what being ‘lost in thought’ might sound like. Different to the other tracks, it has an RnB feel with the chord variation played on a warm sounding keyboard. A more chill and slowed downtempo with a light yet low synth holds a soft and open sound, mirroring the lyrics of needing space and not being closed in by the relationship too soon. Relatable lyrics reflect the hesitation in going any deeper, “…can we float without moving forward? We can just tread some water.” The melody is echoed in Gabriel’s phrasing alongside halted chords emphasising hesitation. This comes after a set of slow full crotchet length strums giving space for Wallace’s very current pop voice to fill the silence.
