Music Review: People On Vacation, The Chronicles Of Tim Powers

By Tyler Hodg

After a successful crowdfunding campaign, People on Vacation have returned with their sophomore album The Chronicles of Tim Powers. The duo—consisting of Ryan Hamilton (Smile Smile) and Jaret Reddick (Bowling for Soup)—have written fun, upbeat songs that include musical aspects of their previous bands, but thankfully are not rehashed music from their past. Although People on Vacation has been dubbed a “supergroup,” there really isn’t anything super about them; their music is down to earth and far from extravagant, significantly adding to the relatable feel that The Chronicles of Tim Powers possesses.

PledgeMusic has been a successful platform for a large number of bands to generate enough money to record the music that they pour their heart and soul into. This grants bands like People on Vacation the opportunity to contribute something new to the world of music, without having to spend a fortune out of their own pockets. The fact that The Chronicles of Tim Powers reached its funding goal is a testament to the loyal fan base that People of Vacation has. One person in particular was significant in the funding of this album: Tim Powers. After receiving a hefty donation from Mr. Powers, the band decided to honor their fan by including his name in the title of the album. That’s cool on both sides of the coin. . . just saying.

The best and worst thing about The Chronicles of Tim Powers is that the music sounds effortless. At times, the songwriting feels natural, like in “The Girl I Used to Love,” but the album also features a song like “You May Not Believe In God,” which feels forced and formulaic. Thankfully, the amount of impressive songs outweighs the amount of disastrous ones by a decent amount.

Unfortunately, the lyrics off of The Chronicles of Tim Powers are often generic, and in some cases, borderline embarrassing. The best example of this can be heard in the chorus of the second song, “I’ve Got Your Back”: “I’ve got your back, and you’ve got mine/Laugh all day, and stay up all night/No matter what comes our way, we’re gonna stick together.” The line oozes corniness and what may have initially been written as a sweet gesture, ends up sounding like a love note passed along by a third grader.

Yes, The Chronicles of Tim Powers is far from perfect, but it’s hard to hate something that is so blatantly created out of genuine passion. The success story that is this album is quite admirable, and it’s safe to say the fans who’ve supported this album with their wallets, will get enough out of it to justify their funding. Although occasionally simplistic and primitive, People on Vacation’s music is easy to listen to and should deliver a pleasurable listening experience to most pop-rock fans.

The Chronicles Of Tim Powers was released on February 3 from Brando Records and is available from People On Vacation’s website.

Tour Dates:
Fri, 20 Feb: House Of Blues – Cambridge Room, Dallas, TX
Wed, 25 Feb: Cathouse, Glasgow UK
Thu, 26 Feb: The Key Club, Leeds UK
Fri, 27 Feb: Temple, Birmingham UK
Sat, 28 Feb: Sound Control Basement, Manchester UK
Sun, 01 Mar: Bodega, Nottingham
Mon, 02 Mar: Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes UK
Tue, 03 Mar: Thekla, Bristol UK
Wed, 04 Mar: Joiners, Southampton UK
Thu, 05 Mar: Dingwalls, London UK