By Jeffrey Trainor (The Cascade) – Email
English band the Vaccines have always toed the line between rock and pop. Since the band’s emergence onto the indie music scene in 2011, the Vaccines have churned out a relatively consistent collection of pop / rock tunes. However, in the band’s latest release, English Graffiti, the group starts to move into a more hyper-produced, studio-polished sound which ends up hindering more than supporting their song-writing abilities.
The album’s overall complexion is a cluttered combination of overly distorted and fuzzed out guitars tones. Tracks such as “Handsome” and “20 / 20” are completely dismantled because of the fuzzy barrage. It’s incredibly unfortunate, as these tracks are two of the best on the album in terms of pure song-writing, but the production and construction of the recording only obstructs the satisfying melody hidden within.
These elements combine with bright, sometimes overbearing piano and synthesizers, subtly mixed bass, and often robotic drums. This sound tapestry ends up leaving the record on disconnected and uneasy footing. The instruments and layers of sound are working on their own instead of combining together to create a cohesive piece of music.
Throughout the record, it is also evident the Vaccines are trying to work in influences from artists that have made a name for themselves in the North American market. The Vaccines are not anywhere near a household name in North America, nor are they a huge factor in North American indie circles. In light of this, perhaps they deemed that the route that would get them the most attention would be to closely align with bands that had broken through. In reality, these close connections just make you want to turn off the songs halfway through and listen to the bands they’re modelled after. Two prime examples of this are the tracks “Minimal Affection” and “Dream Love.” The chorus of “Minimal Affection” could easily find a place on any Strokes record, while “Dream Love” is a blatant attempted emulation of the Arctic Monkeys’ latest release, AM.
Obviously there is nothing wrong with drawing on outside influences, every artist or group does it, but in the case of “Minimal Affection” and “Dream Love,” it is so flagrantly apparent that it takes away from the songs themselves. You are thinking about what they are referring to, and quite frankly, the albums and groups they parallel are far more memorable than those put forth in this record.
Though this is the unfortunate reality for most of the record, English Graffiti does find strength in some of its slower moments, when the group turns down the volume and zeroes in on the melodies and personalities of each of their songs. The best example of this is the verse portions of “Give Me A Sign” and “(All Afternoon) In Love.” Despite these glimmers of hope, the tracks still fall victim to the pitfalls of the record as a whole: overproduction. The chorus on “Give Me A Sign” explodes in an entirely unnecessary way with ear-piercing synthesizers and guitars, while “(All Afternoon) In Love” simply wanders aimlessly without a grounded purpose.
If you weren’t a fan of the Vaccines before English Graffiti, I highly encourage you to not waste your time listening to this release. In fact, I suggest you go back and listen to the group’s first record, What did You Expect from the Vaccines? Perhaps if you have been a die-hard fan since before English Graffiti there is something here for you, but even if that is the case, you may find yourself moving beyond this record after a single listen … and rightly so.
