Rainbow Chan’s expertise is in taking nostalgic singles, like Cranberries’ “LoveFool” or Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”, and weaving in bubblegum vocal loops and experimental tones. Her newest EP, Long Vacation, exemplifies her hard-to-deny cuteness while attempting to present a more challenging ideology, with themes of mortality and brittle relationships.
These darker dimensions start early on Long Vacation. The opening seconds of “In a Foreign Tongue” combine staggering synth steps, schizophrenic xylophone cues, and churning percussion clicks that resemble beats ripped from Bjork’s discography. Chan satisfies with her smooth soprano, accepting death knowing she “knew love once.” “Fool’s Gold” brightens its corners with saxophone melodies amongst airy electronic waves and chimes descending in rapid spirals, following the lyrics of a relationship she was once trying to save. She croons in “Foreign Tongue” that she’s “not afraid of what [she has] become,” opening up the potential for even heavier cuts to follow.
But eventually the EP becomes too cute. While “Haircut” is fun after the first spin, the refrain “I got a haircut today” is as throwaway as the trimmings on the barbershop floor. “Milk” features more experimental instrumentation, but its cloudy vocals obscure the verses, which makes the chorus’ call for “milk and honey” unclear. Here, Chan’s present and past clash as she strives to display her dark side, but her whimsical, juvenile tendencies take away from the tracks’ overall effectiveness.
On Long Vacation, Chan discovers her darker side and creates some thought-provoking material, but she tries too hard to tickle the sweet tooth. Here’s a quick lesson for her LP: heighten the challenges, excise the whimsy.
Essential Tracks– “In a Foreign Tongue”, “Fool’s Gold”