The word “timeshare” generally conjures an image of escape, a place you go every few weekends to separate yourself from the hustle of everyday stress — the album from Vivian McConnell’s new project Grandkids, appropriately named Timeshare, is just that. This marks the first time Vivian, who’s been busy the last few years singing harmonies with her brother Stan in the Champaign-Urbana group Santah, has allowed her lush, gorgeous voice to take the lead. Hearing her vocals so clearly has very much set this project apart.
The songs are handsome and well-composed, featuring gorgeously orchestrated violins and cellos. This beauty is best represented on the track “Engines”, which draws memories of my long drives from the Midwest towards the West Coast and the perfect moment when, after the long, almost un-ending flatness of the Midwest, I could see the mountains up ahead. This memory-driven imagery on the album is also marked with hard-rocking numbers “Collegiate Peaks” and “Not This, Never This”. Both add the perfect blend of energy to this deeply personal and subtle album.