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Rating: It can be said without a shadow of a doubt that the Vaccines are one of the most prolific bands of recent years.
Catapulted into the spotlight thanks to the phenomenal debut album "What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?", the combo led by Justin Young quickly earned their place among the greats, with interviews where statements often leave readers stunned (for example, Freddy Cowan, the guitarist, expressed his disagreement with Rihanna's music policy) and songs that are created as if they were baking bread. This incredible productivity led the Vaccines to release their second album just a year and a half after their debut release. On this subject, singer Justin Young told NME a few months ago, "it was such a productive period that it would have been foolish to let the opportunity slip by," and that, "continuing to tour with just the old album would have been a mistake. We are not cabaret artists who go around delivering the same stuff."
On the other hand, the facts speak for themselves: from "What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?" a whopping 7 singles were extracted; for the video of "Wetsuit," fans were invited to send their Instagram photos taken during summer festivals, resulting in a memorable video; "Tiger Blood," a b-side not included on the album, was also released as a single; finally, in May 2012, "No Hope," the first single from "Come of Age," appeared online.
But perhaps it's this very surge of creativity that slightly clipped the Vaccines' wings, as this new work seems to be a quickly made album, done in haste. Perhaps if a few more months had passed, we would have found ourselves listening to another true masterpiece like the debut CD, but this does not mean that in the end "Come of Age" is a bad album.
The biggest difference with the past concerns the band's style. A merit of "What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?" was the immediacy: indeed, in the first album, 8 out of 11 songs were under 3 minutes long, here the tracks have an average length of 3 and a half minutes, with only 3 songs under 3 minutes and 2 around 5 minutes. Noteworthy is also Justin Young's change in vocal style, singing with a more mature voice.
Regarding the album, the best tracks are undoubtedly those that most refer to the old repertoire, such as the splendid "Teenage Icon," the overwhelming "Bad Mood," and "Change of Heart," while the metronome slows down more frequently, given the presence of songs like "Aftershave Ocean," "All In Vain," or "Weirdo." Also notable are the singles "No Hope" (which brings to mind the Strokes) and "I Always Knew," which perhaps represent the best example of the Vaccines' musical evolution. The album closes with the romantic ballad "Lonely World," which vaguely recalls "Wetsuit" in its structure and positions itself as a soundtrack for the end-of-summer days.
In conclusion, "Come of Age" does not hold up in comparison to its dazzling predecessor, even though it possesses a handful of songs that would make 90% of today's bands green with envy. It will be the next album that delivers Justin, Arni, Freddie, and Pete to the Rock Mount Olympus.RATING: 7.5 (out of 10)
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Other reviews
By definitelyalex
"The second album is always the most difficult, even for the latest 'next big thing' of English indie rock."
"This is undoubtedly a more mature and considered album, with the risk, however, of losing the freshness and immediacy that were the fortune of their debut album."
By Loconweed
"No Hope" featuring a typically English and stereotypically cynical lyric, perhaps the best track of this work.
The second album by the Vaccines seems like a collection of bland songs and in some cases derivative.
By scummyman
This is not a bad album because it is composed of decent songs, where the Vaccines once again show they can find great melodies with a rare immediacy.
The Vaccines, despite reaffirming themselves as a promising reality, are overreaching, exploring territories where they do not always demonstrate they can move well.
