The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?

What did you expect from the Vaccines? is the title for British indie rock band The Vaccines' recently released debut album and it's an excellent question as well. And an undeniable statement. It's pretty head on, about as nihilistic as you can get with just a hint of arrogance. In short, it's very rock'n roll, if only on an aestectic level. The cynic in me however, would be tempted to reciprocate that question with low expectations. Because it's easy to assume that The Vaccines would be just another specimen in the seemingly endless line-up of overconfident, self-conceited and interchangeable indie rock combo's. The kind of band that considers itself to be the next best thing, excelling in vague, generic indie sounds, but lacking substantially when it comes down to actually backing up their carefully constructed image with decent songwriting and originality. And from that point of view What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? somewhat worried me, because Lord knows the last thing I was waiting for was yet another disappointingly bland it-band.

Wrongly, as it turns out, as The Vaccines produced a very decent debut. The band throws together a variety of rock influences, ranging from 50's rock over 60's garage rock to punk resulting in a very sharp sound, not groundbreaking, but very aesthetic nontheless. The Vaccines don't dispense any great pieces of wisdom through their songs, nor do they really dig deep, but the songwriting is at least refreshingly honest. The band somehow managed to find a very bareable balance between the kind of overly sentimental love songs bands like Kings Of Leon thrive on on the one hand and completely hollow songs about drinking partying an sex (which for many of today's young indie rock bands is plenty to constitute an album) on the other hand. Of course all in all the songs here still border on banality, but If only a little, The Vaccines distinguish themselves from the pack by how they take on these themes: heartbreak, being young, the whole shebang of what life is like when you're young. And sure, songs like 'A Lack of Understanding' or 'Post Break-Up Sex' hold in them a specific aim at younger audiences, but there's nothing wrong with that. Having said that, this is not one of the albums that will define 2011. For that it is much too casual and much too momentary. And moreover, there is hardly anything new to what The Vaccines bring. But that doesn't change the fact that this album is a breath of fresh air. What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? lasts just over half an hour and that's the way it should be. The songs are fleeting, the themes universal and the overall tone spot-on, maybe not made for eternity, but a flawless snapshot. In that it's a chronicle of youth, nothing more and nothing less. And at this point in their life, that just great.

Tracklist

1. Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)

2. If You Wanna

3. A Lack Of Understanding

4. Blow It Up

5. Wetsuit

6. Nørgaard

7. Post Break-Up Sex

8. Under Your Thumb

9. All In White

10. Wolf Pack

11. Family Friend