Garage has been coming at us from every which way – the dirtier side, the sweeter side, the fuzzier side, the lo-fi side, etc. London’s The Vaccines do not reinvent this revived wheel on their debut What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?, but spin it enjoyably.
Click here for photos of The Vaccines at 2011 Escape To NY in Southampton, NY in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery
Click here for photos of The Vaccines at SXSW 2011 in Austin, TX in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery
Preceded by singles "Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)"/"Blow It Up", "Post Break-Up Sex", and "If You Wanna", the first LP is really What You Did Expect From The Vaccines – a mostly cheery side of garage that hews much to its fifties origins. The record is strongest when the band really goes for the cheer, such as "Wanna" and "Norgaard", and gets decent-but-forgettable by its back half. There are moments of something more, such as the stripped and echoing "Wetsuit" (though the just piano & vocals hidden track – why do bands still do hidden tracks? – isn’t noteworthy), and especially upcoming single "All In White", a darker garage that shows growth for a band that needs growth.
What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? is not going to blow anyone away, and can certainly get lost in today’s garage-stuff alternative music scene. But it’s an enjoyable listen, or just What You Expected.
MP3 Stream: "If You Wanna"
