I am a sucker for hype. That is the truth. Not always, but a lot of the time.
That being the case, I never stood a chance against The Vaccines. I've resisted writing them up so far, but in the week that they announce details of their debut album and grace the cover of NME, it seems like the right time to give them a shout out.
The Vaccines are an intriguing mix of all kinds of brilliant musical tropes. They have the punk-rock song structure and shoutiness of The Stooges or Sex Pistols, but their appeal goes deeper than that. In lines like "English boy named, presupposing/Watch out man that door's a-closing" they display the kind of abstract lyrical touch favoured by Pavement.
Their songs are eminently singable but are open to interpretation, giving them depth, begging for analysis. Moreover, their arched eyebrow and taste for high-camp makes them compelling live, even on the toilet tours they're currently undertaking.
On top of all of that, frontman Justin Young's vocals drag the quartet's sound into the modern age. There's more than a touch of Interpol about his vocal delivery, and certainly enough to stop The Vaccines sounding like a tired retro throwback.
Basically, The Vaccines are the band The Drums could have been. If they weren't shit.
It's well worth checking out their official site here: www.thevaccines.org.uk
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