It's hard to decide whether Come Of Age is an indication of The Vaccines heading in an entirely new musical direction, or rather just a tentative exploration of new waters for a band still finding their footing. The West London indie rock quartet inadvertently set themselves up to suffer 'second album syndrome' after the release of their cracking debut What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?. Despite that record's profound reliance on three guitar chords and arguable lack of innovation, it gained worldwide attention and enjoyed ample critical acclaim, leaving the group with substantial expectations.
Opening track No Hope commands the attention instantly by plunging you into an agitated frenzy of guitar chaos. Following this collision of sound, frontman Justin Young's seemingly disconnected vocals push the guitars to the background, and provide listeners with a candid, cynical and slightly obnoxious account of today's youth. Following the uplifting pop rock vibes on Teenage Icon, things slow down with some nostalgically syrupy melodies on All In Vain and Aftershave Ocean. However, fans should not be too disheartened as remnants of the band's original appeal are unmistakably revived in the form of live favourite Bad Mood. Musically concise and lyrically undemanding, this track serves as a sleek retort to claims the band have strayed from their roots.
Whether the minimalist style of this record is a result of lazy songwriting or rather the four-piece endeavouring to relay a straight-forward message is open to debate. However, to over-scrutinise this record would be a critical mistake. After all in the words of Young himself, “Great records are not perfect – they're human”.
