Vaccines -‘What Did you Expect From The Vaccines?’ (Sony)
In a world full of fun of the mill indie bands (Pigeon Detectives, The Enemy, Wombats etc.. etc..), the indie kids are on the lookout for new heroes. Are the Vaccines the band to save the day?
Thus far, they seem to have made inroads. they started off the year sharing the NME cover with Brother (who are, frankly,execrable). Seconds single ‘Post breakup Sex’ was a Top 40 hit. This album debuted at no.4 in the UK album charts (Adele’s current dominance making everyone else’s chart positions seem like they aren’t trying hard enough). So far, so much further ahead than they were six months ago. But then some people want to give then a major slagging for being ‘posh.’ Others feel that the album is not groundbreaking enough.
Well, for what it’s worth, I feel that there’s a fair bit to commend and recommend here. If you have a problem with the MTV2/Evening Session/NME notion of indie in 2011, then this may not change your mind. But if you are actually capable of just enjoying an album because it’s fun, with, you know, tunes and stuff, then this might well be your bag. Yes, it’s easy on the ear, but it’s not candyfloss, and these tunes stick around.These are songs that charge along with the joy of The Rakes (RIP), alternately bittersweet and airpunching fun. ‘Wreckin’ Ball’ and ‘If you Wanna’ get the album off to a cracking start and it leaves a big stupid grin on your face.
If you enjoyed The Drums’ debut last year, then for non-complicated fun you might well enjoy this too (no, I didn’t say they are like The Drums. Just that…oh, never mind). Does it change the world? Well no, but remember this: debuts from the likes of Radiohead, Blur, The Cure, Talk Talk…even The Beatles were not, generally speaking, the reason why they were remembered in future years.Put your cynicism aside for forty minutes and see if you can still remember what it is to enjoy something again.
***1/2
What did you expect from the Vaccines? is out now on Sony
