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Product Description
Review
With the cocksure album title, incredibly well received debut tracks, and, we would guess, many declarations of love off the back of the moody jilted lover stares they so expertly delivered in their Post Break-Up Sex video, you can see why people might be just a little suspicious (but mainly jealous) of The Vaccines. But it’s not all smooth moves and knocked-out-in-their-sleep tunes for the four-piece, as this first full-length proves.
And it’s the rawer, less-than-perfect moments that make What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? a hell of a lot more interesting than the copycat indie rock record it at first appears to be. The Strokes-isms are nothing new and they rear their heads from the off, paraded unabashedly; from the woozy guitar solos you can whoop along with, to the buzzing Room on Fire riffs and the interplay between chugging rhythm section and chk-a chk-a lead fret-work, Casablancas and co’s influence is all over the opening tracks. A Lack of Understanding then channels Editors in its not quite believable robotic melancholy, but there’s a point where it turns, and as Justin Young waveringly asks "Are you ready are you ready are you ready for this? Should I shake your hand or should I give you a kiss?" the track is brought to a genuinely goosebump-inducing close.
Blow It Up feels throwaway as a follow-up, and Wetsuit’s lyrics are so painfully bad, it’s hard to take its soaring melodies seriously. "Put a wetsuit on, come on come on / Grow your hair out long, come on come on / Put a t-shirt on, do me wrong, do me wrong, do me wrong," Young croons, as we try our best to imagine singing along to this and not feeling like a moron – not possible. Similarly Post Break-Up Sex boasts its own share of dreadful couplets; Nørgaard is Ramones-ish bubblegum punk fizz and frippery; and Under Your Thumb finds Young repeating "Eleanor" over and over by way of a chorus – hardly inspiring.
The final four tracks, however, boast an unanticipated flash of brilliance from The Vaccines and are consequently very much worth exploring. The lolloping bass-led All in White is a highlight as we hear real vulnerability from Young over an epic chorus. Emotion bubbles into the recordings again during the frenetic, shriek-tinged attack of Wolf Pack, and before it turns into the stark, piano ballad Somebody Else’s Child, Family Friend builds into a thrilling cacophony of pounding rhythms, cracking vocals and screeching guitars. The less they do big dumb bravado, it seems, the more there is to love about this London bunch.
--Camilla Pia
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Product Description
CD .. From The Vaccines
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
50 of 52 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
For the past 5 or 6 years, perhaps longer, I've really struggled to get excited about any British guitar bands. America, Canada and Scandinavia have been churning out really inspired music, whilst the UK scene has produced bands that either seem to be either stuck in 2001, or intent on trying to break the mould without any real idea how, just so long as they get famous for a bit.
If I'm being honest, The Vaccines are doing nothing new. Their blend of post-punk, garage rock, new wave, noise pop and power pop follows that of countless bands to emerge during the last 10 or so years.
Where they differ however is that they don't try too hard. It's genuine, it's fresh, it's fun, it's not being made by some teenagers trying to be the next Strokes and pretending that they remember the Velvet Underground being together.
Quite simply, the songs are excellent, and they put to shame some of the embarrassingly average wannabees that Britain has produced in recent times.
It's not a 5-star album. That would be over-reacting. Around the middle it sort of tails off a bit, but it recovers well at the end, leaving the listener most satisfied.
If you like guitar-based indie rock, you'll really enjoy this record.
If I'm being honest, The Vaccines are doing nothing new. Their blend of post-punk, garage rock, new wave, noise pop and power pop follows that of countless bands to emerge during the last 10 or so years.
Where they differ however is that they don't try too hard. It's genuine, it's fresh, it's fun, it's not being made by some teenagers trying to be the next Strokes and pretending that they remember the Velvet Underground being together.
Quite simply, the songs are excellent, and they put to shame some of the embarrassingly average wannabees that Britain has produced in recent times.
It's not a 5-star album. That would be over-reacting. Around the middle it sort of tails off a bit, but it recovers well at the end, leaving the listener most satisfied.
If you like guitar-based indie rock, you'll really enjoy this record.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
There are many reasons why one might be unimpressed by this over hyped album. Some of the lyrics are puerile rubbish (Wetsuit is a stunning example of how not to imitate Leonard Cohen.) The music is unoriginal and sounds like a mix of twenty long forgotten brain dead bands. Two of the tracks are ridiculously short (Wrecking Bar ra ra ra is only 1:22). The final track, Family Friend, is rather pointlessly chopped in half with a silence in the middle. All in all, this album is about as sophisticated as a drunken orgy in a brothel. And yet, curiously, it's one of the best things I've heard for a while. I'm not sure why I like it so much. My brain tells me to give it only one star. But that would be to miss the point. Music is fundamentally visceral. This album is full of raw energy and it has an undeniable feel-good factor like the early hits of the Beach Boys. It's also completely unpretentious. I just want to play it over and over again. I can't help singing along to Wetsuit despite the crap lyrics. My advice is to suspend your critical faculties; pretend you're thirteen once again and give it a go. Fun fun fun.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By C. Smith
Format:Audio CD
If you look at the music press reviews for this album you get the predictable comparisons spouted forth (Ramones and The Strokes in particular, ad nauseum) however this simply detracts from the genius that are The Vaccines. What they have achieved here is surely an indelible mark on the music industry with their debut album. Yes, the comparisons are there, but it is impossible these days to be pigeonholed in a particular genre and at the same time not be compared to the champions of that genre.
So, rant over - to the music then. Well, either The Vaccines are ridiculously consistent, or they have a veritable goldmine of songs from which they have handpicked these 11 nuggets (or 12 if you count the bonus track Somebody Else's Child). You only need to listen once to songs such as If You Wanna, Lack of Understanding, Wetsuit or Post Break-Up Sex to be singing along like a lifelong fan by the last chorus.
The album doesn't stop there however. Album tracks such as Blow It Up and All In White are incredibly good. As for the album opener and closer (Wreckin' Bar and Family Friend respectively), what a fantastic intro and closer to the proceedings. You can tell that this band is striving to be so much more than 3 minute post-punk/indie clones.
Yes, under close scrutiny some of the lyrics can be nonsensical at times, but who cares? The Vaccines get away with it because they simply pull it off with a large helping of charm and mouth wateringly catchy tunes. What's more, they seemingly achieve this effortlessly, something that cannot be said for many of The Vaccines' contemporaries in their genre in recent years.
Simply put, this is one of the best debut albums I have heard since 1994, something that I don't actually recall saying all that often in the preceding 17 years.
So, rant over - to the music then. Well, either The Vaccines are ridiculously consistent, or they have a veritable goldmine of songs from which they have handpicked these 11 nuggets (or 12 if you count the bonus track Somebody Else's Child). You only need to listen once to songs such as If You Wanna, Lack of Understanding, Wetsuit or Post Break-Up Sex to be singing along like a lifelong fan by the last chorus.
The album doesn't stop there however. Album tracks such as Blow It Up and All In White are incredibly good. As for the album opener and closer (Wreckin' Bar and Family Friend respectively), what a fantastic intro and closer to the proceedings. You can tell that this band is striving to be so much more than 3 minute post-punk/indie clones.
Yes, under close scrutiny some of the lyrics can be nonsensical at times, but who cares? The Vaccines get away with it because they simply pull it off with a large helping of charm and mouth wateringly catchy tunes. What's more, they seemingly achieve this effortlessly, something that cannot be said for many of The Vaccines' contemporaries in their genre in recent years.
Simply put, this is one of the best debut albums I have heard since 1994, something that I don't actually recall saying all that often in the preceding 17 years.
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
mmmmm!
Couldn't make my mind up about these guys but the when I heard some of the new stuff I thought it was worth buying this.
Published 10 hours ago by Geoff Allen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great album, headline songs are only the start.
I got this album on general positive feelings that I got from people when they had been speaking about it. Have never regretted it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Alex
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vaccines
The Vaccines have such an original and unique sound, listening to them is compulsive. Another talented product of the British music industry.
Published 1 month ago by Jennifer Mann
3.0 out of 5 stars
Whar did i really expect from the Vaccines ??
Was a little disappointed with the album there is not a lot a variety and the songs dont have that hook that want to make you listen again and again
Published 1 month ago by Gregg Fortey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vaccines 2
You do tend to buy CD's by artists you like and this is no exception and was just as expected.
Published 2 months ago by Ladlar
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed
I had no expectations, really, but this disappointed me a bit. I tend to agree with the review by "tree iron leg onion" (congratulations for the nickname) but I recognise the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by F. Panin
3.0 out of 5 stars
shame
I love the vaccines and know this is a good album but unfortunately only 6 of the songs downloaded and now I have to go through the hassle of contacting amazon. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Jacquie m
5.0 out of 5 stars
Such a cool album!
At least 6 good tracks and i've not listened to the others yet. Perfect for my new sony mp3 player
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. A. E. Noble
5.0 out of 5 stars
crackin!
raw unadulterated rock,an absolute must of an album.every music fan should own this or they aint a fan of music!buy it !
Published 4 months ago by westy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great album
This is a great album of songs you either already know, or will get on your head!!! Bought more vaccine albums based on this one. If you like anything by the vaccines, buy it !!!
Published 5 months ago by Sigran1
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