The Vaccines - Come Of Age album review

It is very rare that a band comes along that I actually like. A band that holds a certain promise for British Rock Music. When The Vaccines brought out their first album "What Did You Expect From The Vaccines" the UK seemingly went wild for their catchy, repetitive indie music. Their first album was a hit and if I'm honest, left me wanting to hear more.

The Vaccine's second album is called "Come Of Age" and was released at the end of August. I was already expecting more from their sound after reading interviews with the band stating that they no longer wanted to be an Indie band but instead a proper Rock band, which left me wondering why - considering their first album was such a hit, why would they want to change their sound so early on?

Anyway, I heard the album yesterday afternoon whilst sat in my room with my boyfriend. Opener, "No Hope" sounds a lot like it could of been on their first album. It's catchy but dark with lyrics like "The whole thing feels like an exercise in trying to be someone I would rather not be" and of course ... it's fast. Something you can imagine yourself jumping around to at a festival and being able to go wild to.

"I Always Knew" is a much softer sounding song. In my opinion it sounds like something that should of been played in "Grease". It has the 50's/60's sort of beat and riff. It's a good song musically but the lyrics are lacking.

The third song on the album "Teenage Icon" is brilliant. It's quick, it's catchy and it's something you could dance to and go crazy. But it still sounds like something that could of happily mixed in with the first album. Which left me wondering where the changes to being a "Rock Band" actually were.

"All In Vain" is another 60's inspired sound. It's got a fantastic riff and it's easy to sing a long to - which IS something you do expect from The Vaccines. "Ghost Town" for me is absolutely awful, mostly lyrically but I can't listen to it for more than a minute without having to turn it off. Songs with lyrics like "No one about and it's kinda creepy. It's an understatement to say it's sleepy" - I'm sorry but are you a 4 year old child rhyming easy words? No. It's awful to say the least. I like my music to have meaning and it just doesn't do it for me.

The sixth song "Aftershave Ocean" is okay and an easy listen, but it's nothing more than that really. "Weirdo" is a good track too and for me it plays on the fact that The Vaccines ARE trying to be different and trying to change their sound, it's pretty good lyrically too.

"Bad Mood" is excellent. As soon as you turn it on, out blasts a fantastic guitar riff and moody vocals. As soon as my boyfriend saw this song on the track list he laughed and said "oh look a song about you". Next is "Change Of Heart" it's quite good but doesn't do much for the "Rock Band", it still sounds like a typical Vaccines track, which actually is not a band thing. Like I said before, why change when you have such a good sound that people like?

"I Wish I Was A Girl" for me is another failure. They sound like a crap rip-off of The Pixies. And I feel like it's trying far too hard to be something it's not. It's not a sexy song and it feels like it builds itself up but never delivers. "Lonely World" is a slower song and rivals any of the slower songs on their first album. It captures the feeling of love and pain perfectly and for that reason alone I really like it. The next two songs "Runaway" and Possessive are perfect. Two songs you can sing along to and dance around your room to. Possessive I can definitely see myself jumping around to at a gig. Lastly their is a big finish with "Misbehaviour", starting off with a powerful guitar riff, it sounds exciting and it's a brilliant finish to the album.

Overall I do think the album is good, but I still think they sound like an Indie Band and not a Rock Band. I can hear and see the changes in their music and look but they will still always appeal to the Indie market more than the Rock market. The album seems confused in what it wants to be, and it's clearly not what the band claims it to be. But there's still some good tracks on here and worth listening to at least. I don't think The Vaccines should change their sound and the fact that they have been trying to has messed up a few of the songs on here.

7/10

*All opinions are mine and mine alone. I do not claim to be an expert in music, just an avid listener.*