I was just wondering what became of Smoosh. A sister act from Seattle, the duo (and later on trio) were barely teenagers when they started releasing records. Sure, plenty of kid acts exist these days, but Smoosh was different. They played all their own instruments and wrote all of their songs. They even ended up on Jimmy Kimmel and played with Pearl Jam. Not bad for kids who were in junior high at their inception.

Turns out Smoosh are still around in some form. Asya, their keyboardist and vocalist, has turned her efforts toward Daydream Vacation, a duo she formed with Dave Einmo from Head Like A Kite. The pair combines Asya's sugary sweet indie dream pop with Head Like A Kite's vibrant, electronic party rock into one cohesive listen that is sure to get your body up and moving.

Recorded in both Sweden and Seattle with the two trading ideas over Skype, this debut shows traces of indie dance rock mixed with a hazy, calmer moments that make ample use of both analog synth and guitars. Asya's voice never sounds forced and her words flow effortlessly, as it's pretty obvious singing has become second nature to this young woman.

The album opener and title track commands you to stop whatever you're doing and seek out the nearest dance floor. It's the ideal first song, reeling the listener in immediately. “Clever's Not My Best Excuse” shows some funk leanings, a different yet equally effective idea for the band. “That Girl Don't Sleep” and “Kitchy Koo” are high energy and playful pop fun, more indicative of the band's usual sound. “Reincarnation” is the track that stands out the most, a piano driven, slower tune with plenty of beauty that shows maturity beyond their years.

The overall feeling of this is live, pumping energy, no doubt a result of the Einmo's technique of using all live instruments, cutting them up and sampling them. His ability to create loops of them playing all the instruments – with friends contributing percussion, trumpets, sax and backing vocals – gives this one a very spontaneous, vibrant feeling of the truly infectious pop it is.

Rating: B

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