Nashville-based New Translations are trendsetters, making synth-based music in the country music capital of the world. Maybe the kind of music they make, given where they hail from, is where their “trendsetting” begins and ends, as there isn’t anything particularly trendy about their debut record Vacation.
As yet another patently Eighties-influenced synth album (yawn), 
Vacation is not special. Frontman Oliver Pierce projects his baritone vocals as if he is living in the eighties. He would have sounded at least a tiny bit original if he actually was from that period, but sounds way too cliché for the present time. Adding to this, are sentimental tracks like “Sally” and “Who Am I Tonight,” where Eighties cheesiness just pours out like Tab shooting out of a punctured can, and you find yourself trying to escape from the clutches of a bad nostalgia trip.
However, the good thing is that much of the album does sound pretty fresh, particularly the last set of songs. “Weatherman” and “Coldest Century” take synth-pop to stadium rock level with sharp guitars and a big sound. The same goes with “Sheriff,” which is dancier and has an irresistible swagger, as if the band is not only performing music, but putting on a show for the audience performing live. The album ends with its best track “Voided Velvet” (featuring Michigander), which has a sweeping alt-country vibe, focusing less on synths, and more on lush and melodious guitars, and where Pierce’s laid-back sincerity is very likeable.
When New Translations stop forcing themselves to pander to the Eighties trope, they sound great. Even if this means executing a totally bizarre idea like the horrific transition towards the end of “Weatherman” that sounds like a bit from The Rocky Horror Picture Show (making one wonder what the heck was the band thinking), there is a sense of authenticity that can be appreciated. When New Translations tap into this authenticity, they sound cool enough to give the impression that they are a hip indie band from New York and not some oddity that needs to be talked about, merely because they happen to hail from Nashville.