Eleven years on and 5 albums later, The Vaccines continue to prove that they are more than just a trend that arrived as the indie scene was dying. The London four-piece turned up with hype and expectation having signed a record deal after just one gig (that gig being the one of legend, at Kentish Town’s The Flowerpot, attended by members of Arctic Monkeys and Mumford & Sons).
The band, fronted by Justin Young (formerly knowns as Jay Jay Pistolet, a well-respected singer-songwriter in the new folk scene) who, in the early days was pretty awkward on stage as they packed out small venues around the country. Justin was joined by occasional Horrors member (and brother of Tom from The Horror) Freddie Cowan on guitar, bassist Árni Árnason and Pete Robertson on drums.
The Vaccines debut single, Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra) was a chaotic indie anthem that came in at under 90 seconds and reinvigorated the scene that had been washed away by lad rock. The highly anticipated debut album, What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? was released in March 2011 and didn’t disappoint. 12 songs, 36 minutes, raw, catchy, youthful and anthemic, it was exactly what was needed at that time and it still sounds great 10 years later.
The band's second album, Coming of Age was released the following March, a much bolder record, after playing arenas during support tours with the Arctic Monkeys. you could hear how the band had come of age despite still having imposter syndrome. The band started to slow things down, as the third album, English Graffiti didn't come out until 3 years later in 2015.
In 2016 the 4 piece became a band of 5 as drummer Pete left and was replaced by Yoann Intonti and keyboardist Timothy Lanham joined to help the band expand their sound. The new line-up influenced the sound on Combat Sports, which came out in 2018 but it’s Back In Love City, the band's fifth album that sees them explore new areas.
It’s rare for guitar bands to remain relevant for a decade but The Vaccines keep coming back with killer singles, unfortunately, they’ve never hit the same heights on an album since the debut. What made What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? special was its short, sharp delivery, it was to the point, energetic but with some emotional anthems for a bit of a break but there was no fillers. Back In Love City reaches those marks again, it might be synth-driven and their most polished album to date but it’s fast, furious and full of great tunes that you don’t want to skip.
The first peek into this new era was the lead single Headphones Baby, a big, confident tune which was followed up by the equally bouncy title track and the album is filled with the same energy. This fifth installment takes the same approach of the debut, sharp and concise with zero fillers but it’s delivered with 10 years experience, growth and ambition. The raw punk delivery has been replaced with electro-pop vibes, elegance a reassurance.
Alone Star is groovy, Wanderlust would have been a stand out track on any of the band's previous albums as it is full of attitude and aggression but executed to perfection. Paranormal Romance is dramatic, pure pop-punk comes through on Jump Off The Roof, XTC and Peoples’ Republic of Desire feel like the old Vaccines but fresher as they rattle through whilst Combat Sports era can be heard on Bandit. Heart Land is calm and dreamy before album closer, Pink Water pistols that sees Justin speak with emotion.
The Vaccines have learned from past mistakes on Back In Love City, an album with political statements running throughout that feels complete.
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