Reckless abandon is a dangerous thing. No, I’m not referring to the Blink-182 track (from the brilliantly titled album Take Off Your Pants and Jacket), but it is a good place to start. “Everybody would waste it all, to have a summer that they could call, memory that’s full of fun, fucked up, when it’s all done,” drawls Tom DeLonge over the track.
It’s a behaviour we’re all prone to, whether you’re a kid out in the suburbs or a grown man who still he thinks he is. To indulge in mindless actions for the sake of hedonism, we’ve all done it and the consequences are more often than not severe. That dichotomy of elation and regret is what fuels the latest from sister duo MayaVanya and their track Rockets.
Steeped in minimalist production and a killer vocal hook from fellow Kiwi Tali, MayaVanya get seductive with their latest slow jam Rockets.
Originally from Croatia, before heading to New Zealand (you all know how we feel about New Zealand) and now settling in Melbourne, Maya and Vanya Milinovic have been active together since 2010. The pair have been keeping busy in those five years, churning out quality mixes and singles. They even collaborated on a track with P Money (P Money you guys, P Money!). Since their arrival in Melbourne MayaVanya’s profile has continued to rise and their latest effort Rockets will no doubt be pricking up some ears as we start looking for chill tracks to spin by the pool.
Helping out on the vocals is Tali, a talented singer based out of Auckland. Her vocals are alluring, drawing you in with ease. Like the gaze of a seductive stranger at a bar, her vocal hooks you immediately and refuses to let go. She’s smooth and tempered, but manages to bring plenty of versatility to the track capturing those themes of reckless abandon.
Let’s not forget the Milinovic sisters, who are doing a bang up job on the production side of things. It’s a minimalist slow jam that keeps the focus on Tali’s vocal. After letting her take the lead in the opening, melancholy synths swell, then fade like a low tide. The drum hook scatters and bops giving Rockets an irregular groove but manages to create plenty of space for the vocals and skirting synth parts to play.
The minimalism on Rockets is the track’s greatest strength, managing to convey the euphoria of indulgence and the sobering feeling of dealing with the consequences. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see where MayaVanya go from here, not only as musicians but as songwriters.
