On their debut album’s first track, “Wrecking Bar: Ra Ra Ra”, The Vaccines achieve an admirable although not altogether original feat —a forget me not neo-punk track with an indie twist, like the Ramones through a lo-fi filter. The rest of the album crests and wanes with a lovely British voice either rhapsodizing excitedly or moping about “how you won’t understand” with the comforting sounds of powerhouse bands in the background music, which wears its influences on its sleeves. Spanning post-punk, noise-pop, and straight up garage, What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? seems to poke fun at itself and its lack of new-sounding-sounds, instead finding its niche in emulating The Jesus and Mary Chain. The album isn’t derivative in a bad way, it just lacks depth. But somehow, I feel that a band that sings about “Post Break Up Sex” are a tad too young and blasé to be concerned with musical integrity at this point in their career. Over all, I would say that The Vaccines are a very promising band who will probably release their a-ha record as a third or fourth lp. In the meantime, they’ve crafted an album full of short, sweet songs which hipsters will inevitably play at house parties.
3.4/5
