The Vaccines stormed North American shores with a press kit touting these Brit lads as the next big thing in rock. The album launches with a catchy opening blast of punk-rock (clocking in at 1:22): “Wrecking Ball” evokes a young Ramones. This is a decent album from a band that wears its influences proudly on its sleeve. Unfortunately after lead singer Justin Young underwent a third operation on his throat, the band had to scrap a slew of its tour dates. This is a solid foundation to establish, but there aren’t any wheels being reinvented here.
This article appears in Oct 20-26, 2011.