The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?

Not a year down the line, The Vaccines have been joyously swashing in the sickly sweet juices of hype. Elevated to dizzying heights since landing third place in the BBC’s Sound Of 2011 poll, not to mention NME Tour exposure and hyperbolic Zane Lowe publicity. It is incomprehensible that a Ramones tribute band could induce hysteria of such staggering proportions.

With such cub scouts haste is a requisite, perhaps because the industry is aware of how forgettable, one-dimensional, disposable and flat their production lines have become. It’s like fast-rising fast-food: a sachet of microwavable popcorn, part charred, part unpopped. Did someone say Fratellis? The LP’s title prefigures the public anticipation, yet everyone knows exactly what to expect, it’s been shovelled down their throats aplenty.

And it's utterly predictable – uncomplicated arrangements meshed with lyrics of an inconceivably trivial variety, delivered with a pastor’s conviction. If You Wanna is arguably the strongest moment on an indifferent record, perhaps because it's under no illusions. Family Friend falls victim to its own pretense to be the profound closer, and short of beckoning to greater things firmly suggests we needn’t expect much more. NME said of the record: “It’s just too damn good to be sniffy about,” and for that reason alone The Vaccines have just been deducted another star.