Kevin Bronson on March 18th, 2017

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Upstart dream-pop quartet Bolinas combine the talents of singer-guitarist Chris Thomas, bassist Phil McGinn, keyboardist Danny Torres and drummer Dwight Stannard, who spin a gossamer web of echoing guitars and delicate vocals on their first single “Vacation.” The project began with the songs Thomas demoed while living in Seattle and his hometown of Kansas City, Mo.; after he moved to L.A. he met McGinn and Stannard working for a music equipment company in Van Nuys. With McGinn signing on to help with production and mixing (and eventually lending his writing talents on other songs), the quartet was rounded out when co-worker Torres was recruited to join. “Vacation” is more about being emotionally not at home than going on a trip — “I guess you caught me lacking any ambition / It’s just so nice, always feeling like I’m on vacation,” Thomas sings over lush atmospherics that do well by the ’80s and ’90s U.K. forebears of the genre.

||| Stream: “Vacation”