Taking a tip out of the Britpop rivalry book, music writers have been keen to play up the battle between the country’s two hottest indie bands; the low-fi rock ‘saviours’ The Vaccines and their poppier counter-parts Two Door Cinema Club; as both release their eagerly anticipated second albums in the same week. So, who’s going to take the title as the best new band in Britain?
Very much sticking to their first album aesthetic of grunge-tipped guitars and droning vocals, The Vaccines’ second album in as many years updates their sound to where they are now. They have been placed as the newfound champions of British rock, but have never been truly comfortable in that role; ‘Come Of Age’ showing this perfectly. Lead single ‘No Hope’ sees singer Justin Young stating ‘I don’t really care about/Anybody else when I haven’t got my own life figured out’ in an indie-ditty borrowed directly from the Libertines’ songbook. Second single ‘Teenage Icon’ follows suit; shouting ‘I’m no teenage icon’ and ‘I’m nobody’s hero’ on the catchiest and most anthemic song on show, but one from a band shying away from their mantle.
So, ‘Come Of Age’ updates their sound as a promising band, but not yet fit for placing amongst this country’s finest. ‘I Wish I Was A Girl’ is a suave mid-paced rocker that sees Young envy after the fairer sex, and they’ve never sounded sweeter than on the bright pair of ballads ‘All In Vain’ and ‘Aftershave Ocean’ as Young stretches his sometimes-underworked vocals. ‘I Always Knew’ is a nicely worded if passable tune, while ‘Weirdo’ sees the album hit a low with a slow and repetitive point that threatens a reach for the stop button.
Thank goodness for the moody, grunge-esque punk-rock of ‘Bad Mood’ which blitzes ‘Come Of Age’ out of its funk, and is easily the ‘If You Wanna’ of these songs on show. With these tracks, completed by the bubbly and pacy ‘Change Of Heart Pt. 2’ and swaggering album closer ‘Lonely World’, it makes The Vaccines’ second showing a pleasurable record, not quite at the heights that they are being talked up to but without a doubt full of potential.
So while The Vaccines had a wild 2011 on the festival circuit, it seems that Two Door Cinema Club that appear to be having the better 2012 with roaring success at the Reading/Leeds festivals. Their unique brand of summery indie-disco saw their stock rise as one of the country’s best loved new groups, with debut album ‘Tourist History’ inspiring a devoted following.
However, ‘Beacon’ sees the Northern Irish trio grow up a bit; the fast-paced tracks have been replaced by a more mellow and sombre Two Door that, while arguably are better musically, have lost a bit of their sparkle and the appeal is a lot less instantaneous. Tracks such as ‘Handshake’ and ‘Spring’ are very pleasant, bursting along to a similar beat with bright and intricate riffs lacing in and out, but it’s all very passable without much impact.
It also seems that lead singer and chief writer Alex Trimble is a bit lost, as themes of loneliness and longing are riddled throughout ‘Beacon’. Opener ‘Next Year’ sees Trimble solemnly crying ‘‘I’ll be home for next year, darling’, while ‘The World Is Watching’ may sound cheery but seems to reflect his subdued outlook as he sings ‘Everybody is here except for me’. Add this to admissions on second single ‘Sun’ that he is ‘drawn apart’ and ‘far away’; it’s starting to look like the chirpy red-haired front man of Two Door is nearing depression.
But no matter how much the world may be getting the lads down, they can still produce an indie-disco floor filler, even if the quality or quantity isn’t as high as on ‘Tourist History’. ‘Someday’ could have come straight from the first record; fast, infectious and full of life, it is the first song you can actually envisage flashing lights alongside it. ‘Sleep Alone’ has lead single written all over it, while ‘Settle’ and ‘Beacon’ again keep up Two Door’s reputation for three-minute disco thrillers. But one must still worry about Trimble; the former carry’s the lines ‘This isn’t home/I couldn’t feel less alone’, while the title track offers some sense of hope as Trimble finishes calling out ‘I’m coming home!’
‘Pyramid’ is also a highlight in an album that lacks them; piercing through a malaise of highly polished, fuzzy guitars with a shot of pace and punk, and manages to be interesting over a set of songs that often fail to inspire. ‘Beacon’ therefore falls short of the heights of their first album; pleasing and in some places enjoyable, but overall a passable listen.
Two of the country’s biggest new bands and two new albums out in the same week and both reap similar results. Both are continuing their respective sounds, with signs of development and progression but ultimately producing two albums that fall short of their predecessors. Of the two, The Vaccines take the title of the victors of this British pop battle, but it’s not quite at the Blur-Oasis height of the mid-1990’s. Promising however, from two bands that could be one album away from stardom.
HIGHLIGHTS: Vaccines - Teenage Icon, Bad Mood, I Wish I Was A Girl / Two Door - Someday, Sleep Alone, Pyramid
Well done to The Vaccines, coming out on top of the battle of the Brit bands of the moment, and here's my favourite track, Bad Mood. Enjoy.
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