The video for this song is endlessly amusing to me. I swore Wes Anderson had to have directed it. (It’s not.)
I am pretty sure it is a regular guitar but in my mind it’s a ukulele. It could be the tambourine that is underpinning this song that highlights the plucky sound of the song. It has a very steady rhythm that gives it an upbeat feel and
The singer (who is not actually named Vance Joy according to the Internet) has a very old timey sound to me. I feel like I am listening to the song through a transistor radio.
I am supposing that is an intention sound based on the video which has an old school feel (Pan Am tickets!!!)
The sound is simple but I love it. I find myself listening to it once a day and then realizing I am singing it to myself as I go about the rest of the day. A great summer song, while you’re cruising off to the beach (though hopefully you don’t run into actual riptides.)