THE VACCINES // 'COMBAT SPORTS' - ALBUM REVIEW
THE VACCINES RETURN WITH THEIR FOURTH LP, COMBAT SPORTS
THE VACCINES - COMBAT SPORTS
★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8/10)
London based band The Vaccines are back with their forthcoming LP Combat Sports: The album was announced back in November 2017 with a teaser video of 2nd single ‘Nightclub’ and the April tour for this year. Fans were then left in the dark for a couple months until lead single ‘I Can’t Quit’ got announced as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record on BBC Radio 1.
Frontman Justin Young has stated in a interview that the new band members Yoann Intonti and Timothy Lanham will add new and exciting things since drummer Pete Robertson left the band back in early 2017 to work on his own solo projects.
While listening to the LP I felt like I was rediscovering my first time listening and loving the band. This album was a definite return to their roots, full of brash and bold rock and roll songs that remind you of songs from earlier in the Vaccines discography. The songs on this follow up to English Graffiti are much more fast paced than the 3rd LP with songs such as ‘Surfing in the Sky', 'Nightclub' and I Can’t Quit’ being among the highlights.
The Vaccines new sound bares similarities towards bands like The Knack and early Duran Duran, especially with the funky sound in the track ‘Put it On A T-Shirt’. Combat Sports overall has a very romantic tone throughout the album, possibly a love letter to New York where Justin Young now resides with tracks like ‘Young American' and ‘Maybe (Luck of the Draw)’.
To new fans of the band, they will definitely put this as an album on their top 10s of this year and to the old fan base it might get some time getting used to. But it was definitely worth the wait as The Vaccines provide those retro catchy indie tunes that are perfect for road-trips.
THE VACCINES - COMBAT SPORTS WILL BE OUT 30TH MARCH 2018 ON COLUMBIA RECORDS.