The Vaccines - The Vaccines Come of Age Review

Hands down my favourite debut album for last year was The Vaccines What Did You Expect from The Vaccines? Hyped to the brink of certain doom, the album was a surprisingly satisfying rock album, heavy on the short but sweet but just as heavy in the entertainment value of the record.

Despite being little over a year, the band have quickly released the dreaded follow-up album, named The Vaccines Come of Age (or simply Come of Age). With only a year after the impressive debut, the question on mine and many others lips was simply; can the band, famous for their addictive, under three minute tunes either replicate it again without diluting it, or possibly take a significant change?

The band quickly gives it's answer from the word go with lead single and opener No Hope that things have certainly changed, although you'd be hard pressed to think it was a bad decision. With the reverberation increased ten fold to give the song an epic feel and lyrics setting the ground work for confusion and apathy later on; it's a brilliant opening number and one of the best in the bands increasing back catalogue.

For the most part; it all remains pretty good throughout, any fears that the band might struggle with an album where a majority of the songs go beyond three and a half minutes are rendered useless by the first half of the album. All in Vain keeps within the same...vein (that was not intentional!) as No Hope, but there's more of a sixties rock influence on the track and the chorus, like many Vaccines tracks, is perfect for live shows.

The one possible duff track of this newish style for me would be Aftershave Ocean. Whilst the song does have a great riff in the middle, it's delivery and execution for the most part in terms of vocals and music do sound a bit well-trodden and at times, generic.

Whilst there is an increase in track length for the most part; the album still has a few shorter numbers. Ghost Town has one of Young's best vocals in a song that laments on quiet nightlife, with a music backdrop not a world away from their debut. Change of Heart Pt.2 in the meanwhile, despite being the shortest track on the record; is quite generic and mundane and one of the albums low points (along with Aftershave Ocean).

Probably the best showcase of combining the old days and new lies with I Wish I Was a Girl; a three minute pop jangle where Young laments on "Life is easy when you're easy on the eye". It has a fantastic riff towards the end and whilst the lyrics aren't perhaps as sexually ambiguous as what was intended, it's a quirky pop number with some excellent music.

However, hands down the best track lyrically is Weirdo. The second longest track on the album minus the closer; Weirdo's lyrics speak of your stereotypically apathetic man who acknowledges his faults, but knows someone will always be there for him regardless of how peculiar his behaviour is.

Although the song is quite slow and foreboding, the Morricone inspired guitar work gives the song a strange but satisfying spaghetti-western backdrop. Add the chorus with a stereotypical Vaccines sing-a-long and it all combines into a brutal anthem, a perfect showcase of how different a tone Come of Age is.

Come of Age represents a welcome step in the right direction. The songs are mostly longer, the themes stick to the view of confusion, apathy and even, slightly deranged, but the album never loses it's quirks, it's pacing or bite that ruins so many bands with their follow-up to an impressive debut.

Better than the original? Quite possibly, but there's no denying that The Vaccines have not only Come of Age, but gone beyond expectation with one of the best albums of the year.

8/10

H

@Retcon_Nation