REVIEW: Bayside – Vacancy
Review by Annette Hansen
When you’re trying to keep up with a good number of bands, it’s possible for new, anticipated releases to slip through the cracks. Bayside’s latest addition, Vacancy, nearly fell victim to that phenomenon. When I saw that this album was coming out, and coming out soon, I was ready to get my hands on it.
With Vacancy, I find myself struggling with a few mixed feelings. With the first couple of listens, this album was a bit hard to really sink my teeth into; the songs just had a hard time grabbing and holding my attention. It made it hard to want to go back to the album for more listens. As I listened on, however, I did notice some truly bright spots on this record.
While Bayside really stick with their biting and somewhat pessimistic lyrics on Vacancy, it was hard not to notice a lighter tone on several of the tracks, certainly lighter than previous releases. This is most noticeable on songs like the seemingly buoyant “I’ve Been Dead All Day” that musically contrasts with its darker lyrical content in the best way and also on the more laidback and slightly folksy “Mary.” These tracks really feel like something I haven’t heard yet from Bayside, and they make for refreshing additions to the track listing on this album.
At the same time, the band doesn’t stray too far from their signature sound with the majority of this record. There are moments where this really works, particularly on tracks like the theatrical “Not Fair” and the driving “Maybe, Tennessee.” Other times, this aspect makes the album feel a bit tired especially in the middle section of the album with more undistinguished songs like “Enemy Lines” and “Pretty Vacant.” The album ends on a bit of lifeless note as well with the mellow “It’s Not As Depressing As It Sounds.”
In the end, Vacancy is a pretty solid release with some strong tunes from the long-time industry veterans. Vacancy as a whole may not be as gripping as I was hoping for, but it’s still given me a number of great songs that are more than worthy of my time.
Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Recommended Tracks: “Mary” and “Maybe, Tennessee”
