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Winter Vacation: The Netherlands, 1980
[Asaurus]

Entitled The Netherlands, 1980, this release from the solo project of David Yourdon is charmingly packaged in a red booklet inside its own little sticker-sealed sleeve. But the album skips consistently, all the way through, like a poorly burned copy of an original. Flawless packaging doesnt make up for that, unfortunately.

Leaving that difficulty aside, this album is charming. David Yourdon has a pleasant, boyish nasal twang; its a delicate line to walk, but Winter Vacation succeeds in seeming endearing without grating on sensitive nerves. The songs are brief and sweet, with great strummed guitar, a general Midwestern feel tempered by British pop. Though none of the tracks shine any brighter than others, each is generally pleasant. The whole album is sedated, despite its mid-tempo melodies.

The Netherlands is lo-fidelity, marked with great instrumentation; a few long intros and instrumental pieces lend the feeling of a film score for a teenage afternoon. The Greenest Bridge is reminiscent of Luna, layered and topped with bright guitar and subdued singing; Rained on Together starts with a pleasantly discordant piano rush and continues to feel off kilter to its conclusion. Balloon Township is a lovely afternoon instrumental piece. As a whole, the album is precocious in its music and sweetly innocent in style. This is the sort of release that can convince even a hardened listener to reconsider the sweet indie genre. Despite the hardship of the skipping, this reviewer found The Netherlands, 1980 a very pleasant vacation.

This album can be purchased at Asaurus

Winter Vacation Official Website

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