Album Review: Come of Age

It is hard to imagine that within two years of existence, the Vaccines managed to produce two quality albums. The latter of the two is Come of Age, a super-charged indie/garage rock LP with easy-to-overlook imperfections that was released in September of 2012.

The first three tracks pack quite a punch; back-to-back driving, electric rhythms with lyrics drenched in the indomitable spirit of youth. “No Hope,” a grand yet simplistic tune, starts the album with a bang. From there the band segways into the mopey but ascendant “I Always Knew,” which is followed by the crunchy, bopping “Teenage Icon.” The fourth track, “All in Vain” is somewhat of a blunder compared to the previous tracks. It brings the pace and tone down a bit with its acoustic guitar and less-distorted lead guitar parts, but the whiney tone of vocalist Justin Young nearly destroys the track – only the last minute of the song is really exciting. “Ghost Town” brings the album back together with no shortage of cheeky lyrics and gripping instrumentals. “Aftershave Ocean” and “Weirdo,” like “All in Vain,” bring the noise down a bit. However, unlike “All in Vain,” the aforementioned tracks maintain interest with hook after hook and intriguing lyrics. “Bad Mood” is perhaps the song most reminiscent of the Vaccines’ previous album, What Did You Expect from The Vaccines? It’s visceral guitar and no-holds-bar, rockin’ pace will cause anyone’s foot to tap. After that, the next two tracks (“Change of Heart Pt. 2” and “I Wish I Was a Girl”) sort of mesh together. There are qualities to be found in both, but neither truly stands out like the other gems on Come of Age. Finally, the album concludes with “Lonely World.” With impassioned vocals and superb instrumentation, “Lonely World” serves as a proper ending to a Grade-A album.

So, if you want a modern sound with the timeless angst and artistic prowess of a young generation, Come of Age will do the trick for you. Truly, the album’s title fits the burgeoning style of the Vaccines as well as the undying, ever-maturing style of rock music.