The Vaccines Part 1: album review

Potentially one of the most well-known – and well-loved – British indie rock bands to have emerged from the past ten years, The Vaccines have just released their fourth album. Combat Sports is a thirty-three-minute jaunt in a classic three-chord Vaccines way, at times vibrant and surprisingly heartfelt. As a firm fan of their debut What Did You Expect From The Vaccines, while I don’t believe anything could ever top it Combat Sports does prove the five-piece are still as relevant and as popular as ever.

Opener ‘Put It On A T-Shirt’ is a big, bold choice, its sound encapsulating the rest of the album; the synth backing lends a relatively upbeat tone and prepares listeners for what’s to come. The rest of the record is filled with grand choruses, reverb heavy guitars, and of course Justin Young’s signature vocal – near-shouts bridging the gaps in instrumentation.

Recent single ‘I Can’t Quit’ follows. One of their more impressive efforts, it’s a great singalong track. It is neither too taxing nor too complicated; no doubt it will be a huge festival hit over the next few months. It is simple indie rock and is what the band are known for – and that’s what they’ve stuck with.

Every song has a place; it doesn’t feel mismatched like a mixtape, as appears to be the recent trend

‘Your Love Is My Favourite Band’ is potentially one of my favourite ever names for a song; I was sold before the song graced my ears. Full to the brim with sixties-esque melodies and guitar lines you just want to, for want of a better phrase, ‘vibe’ to, it’s a great pop song, and indeed the whole album takes influence from the summery pop of the fifties and sixties. Young has said before that his favourite album is The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, and this is certainly evident.

What is most notable about the album is how cohesive it is. Every song has a place; it doesn’t feel mismatched like a mixtape, as appears to be the recent trend. Importantly, the departure of original drummer Pete Robertson doesn’t take away from the success of new material, and serves to prove they are a band that are here to stay.

The Vaccines are bolder and more confident than they ever have been; they know what they’re good at and they just keep getting better

‘Young American’ is one of the more pensive songs on the record. A quiet, almost soppy, love song, it doesn’t take up as much space sonically as other tracks, and could thus be skipped over easily. It’s not bad by any means, but simply lacks the weight and excitement that shines through the rest of Combat Sports.

This is in complete contrast to what follows; Nightclub is undoubtedly an album highlight. It makes you want to dance: “You can’t fight fire with the feeling of desire” has such simplicity and yet such impact. It heavily resembles ‘Dream Lover’, a crowd favourite from their third album English Graffiti; the use of heavy guitar is a simple motif that the band repeatedly employ, on several tracks. Young’s vocals and Freddie Cowan’s bold guitar blend seamlessly; it’s clear they’re a band with a lot of steam, and a lot of their career yet to go. The Vaccines are bolder and more confident than they ever have been; they know what they’re good at and they just keep getting better at it.

The sixties influence is indisputable here, with a light, airy melody fitted above striking synths

Album closer ‘Rolling Stones’ (sadly not an ode to Jagger and co.) is one of my favourite album closers, potentially ever. It’s soft and gentle, and perfectly rounds off what is otherwise quite a vibrant and explosive record. The sixties influence is indisputable here, with a light, airy melody fitted above striking synths.

Having set the bar high with their debut, for a fourth album The Vaccines have by no means demonstrated a poor attempt. It doesn’t feel recycled, nor too heavily influenced by any of their previous records; it is far more mature than would be expected. Combat Sports is a classic Vaccines album with a fresher, more competent feel than anything they’ve produced previously. No doubt it’ll be heavily overplayed this summer.