Tag: Single Review: Yam Yam

Currently comprised of founding members Sabrina Mal (vocals, guitar) and Marisa Saunders (bass) along with Nat Lee (synth), Harrison Spencer (guitar) and James Shi, the San Francisco, CA/New York-based indie rock act No Vacation can trace their origins as a dorm room-based duo before Saunders, Lee and Spencer joined the band as they migrated from their garage practice space to studio recording; in fact, the band quickly received local attention with the release of their Summer Break Mixtape and established a reputation for crafting 120 Minutes-era guitar pop. After the release of the Summer Break Mixtape the band broke up for a year — and after a series of shows with different names and lineup changes, the band reunited with James Shi recruited to play drums.

“Mind Fields,” the first single since the breakup was directly influenced by the band’s breakup and their second and latest single of this year, “Yam Yam” reportedly continues on the wistful, nostalgic tone of its predecessor as the band pairs shimmering guitar chords, a sinuous bass line, Mal’s ethereal crooning and a soaring and anthemic hook — and while furthering their burgeoning reputation for crafting 120 Minutes-like guitar pop, the song also manages to possesses a swooning, earnestness; after all, the heartache and bitter confusion at the core of the song come from a real, uneasy personal experience.

The band announced a handful of tour dates to build up buzz for their forthcoming full-length effort. Check out the tour dates below.