“Vacation in Spain” is the collaboration of Silver Firs and Flurina Häberli, singer of the band no phase. The song has an unexpected origin: It was originally written by Silver Firs’ singer and multi-instrumentalist Raphael Elmiger for his former post-punk band. The track is a commentary on the hedonistic dominant male scene of the early 2000s, which back then – for any music genre – was a rough time for female soloists and band members. While only one archive of the original song exists, I appreciate that Silver Firs was able to salvage a song which I truly like. It also turns out to still be relevant today, especially as female singers – specifically popstars – still face scrutiny even for minor things.
The song starts upbeat and inviting, with a cute melodic turn before the track fully opens up. From there, Häberli’s voice takes over. Her delivery has a cadence that makes you believe anything she is saying: she tells you about this boy, and all you’re able to do is hold onto her words and listen. Then Elmiger’s vocals enter and it shifts into something else entirely, almost like hearing a second perspective on the same story. His voice gives the song an otherworldly quality when combining what they’re both saying. It’s cinematic.
Lyrically, the song is sharp and quietly devastating in how accurately it captures the performance of contemporary life. It tackles current issues just as the song did when originally written in the 2000s. “from appearing healthy and “Careful not to offend” takes on a whole new meaning in the age of Internet culture.
Mastered by Anna Murphy with artwork by Christoph Barmettler, the production and visual presentation are both immaculate. No notes! “Vacation in Spain” is a genuinely great song and I wish Silver Firs and no phase nothing but great things.
Take a listen to “Vacation in Spain” below.
Silver Firs
no phase
Written by Anthony Perez
