Impressive songwriting chops

Hailing from Sacramento, California, Vista Kicks originally formed as a project called Babe in 2013, before switching to their current name. They quickly released an EP two years later, boasting a ‘New California’ sound in which they created modern alt/indie rock from a wide variety of classic rock influences. Their debut album, Booty Shakers Ball, arrived in September 2017, which further refined the band’s sound and propelled them forward in notoriety and maturity. Barely pausing for breath, the band immediately went back into the studio, and less than a year later have released their sprawling sophomore effort, Twenty Something Nightmare.

The epic 18 song set can be divided into two parts. The first twelve songs are the catchier, more conventional tracks, with poppy hooks and choruses. The last six, however, are much more open and progressive, which leads to a mellower finish to an otherwise upbeat record.

The band, made up of Derek Thomas (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Sam Plecker (guitar, backing vocals), Trevor Sutton (bass, backing vocals) and Nolan Le Vine (drums, backing vocals), open with “Million Dollar Seller, Pt. 1,” which immediately showcases their classic rock influences with a Stones-esque groove. Lead single “If I Didn’t Have You,” a much more modern-sounding track, follows with chiming guitars, tom rolls and keys, which create an atmospheric vibe reminiscent of bands like U2 and Muse. “Victim of The Times” comes right after that, and it brings a more Southern vibe. Other overt influences can be heard throughout, whether they be Tom Petty (“Live, You’re Gonna Die”), James Brown (“Wrong Side of Town”), or the Sergeant Pepper-era Beatles (“Cool It”).

The one problem this album has is its length. Even though every song is good in its own right, the fact that so many of them are all compressed onto one disc means that some tracks of the back half may go overlooked, and that definitely isn’t what the band wants in this stage of its career. They’ve got the writing chops to take them a long way, and hopefully, an overload of material won’t derail that in any way. A lot remains to be seen, but Twenty Something Nightmare is a great step forward.