Hello Reader,
Welcome back. Hope all is well with you.
English indie rock band, The Vaccines are back with a new album. The band has toured with the most recognizable names in the genre today including but not limited to, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Imagine Dragons, Muse, and Phoenix among others since the band formed in 2010. They’ve released the well-received albums, What Did You Expect from the Vaccines? (2011), Come of Age (2012), English Graffiti (2015), Combat Sports (2018), and Back in Love City (2021). Adding to this discography, the band has released the 10-song album, Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations which was released for our listening pleasure on January 12th via Twin Tigers and also Super Easy.
The album title Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations originates from the beautiful Don McLean song “American Pie” which tells not only about The Day the Music Died in early February of 1959 but also that the American Dream was dead as well. McLean’s lyrics are: “I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck / With a pink carnation and a pick up truck.” Lines that have been misheard/misremembered over the years. If any of that’s news to you, it’s time to relisten to “American Pie.”
Lead vocalist Justin Young says, “There are two types of people in the world – people that have had their heart broken and people that haven’t had their heart broken yet.” “‘Heartbreak Kid’ is a call to arms, a reminder that in a world where too many of us feel too detached too often, facing your feelings head on can make you feel more alive, even if it feels like the world is ending. It’s a song to keep you company on the busy freeway that connects loss to discovery.”
The Vaccines current lineup features Justin Young (lead vocals, guitars), Árni Árnason (bass, vocals), Timothy Lantham (guitars, keys, vocals) and Yoann Intoni (drums, percussion). And musician Matt Hitt joins them on tour after long-time member Matt Cowan’s departure to pursue a new project.
Some music hype incoming:
The album opener takes us on a nice visual ride, “Sometimes, I Swear”:
(All credits and rights to The Vaccines)
Lyrics on the screen, and the entire band in “The Heartbreak Kid”:
(All credits and rights to The Vaccines)
“Discount De Kooning (Last One Standing)”:
(All credits and rights to The Vaccines)
Overall, Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations seems to fit well into The Vaccines discography. Perhaps their best release in a while. Long-time fans may say this is as good as their debut? Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations contains straightforward songwriting on top of catchy new wave melodies and pop songs. The band musically is in tight form. The guitars and drums especially shine. The album features some strong hooks from Young, especially in the first half of the album. Hooks that will get chanted by fans at the bands’ tour shows. Very danceable songs on this album. Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations has plenty of references to places and several of its prominent themes include gratitude, love, longing, loss, reflection and regret.
A song-by-song breakdown of Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations: The opener, “Sometimes, I Swear” Young shows off his vocal range, and features great chorus and instrumentation from the band. “Heartbreak Kid” is from the perspective of giving advice to a younger person over the top of incredible drum work and guitar work. “Lunar Eclipse” features lyrics about escapism to a time before things got serious and overwhelming over a new wave melody.
The fourth song on the album, “Discount De Kooning (Last One Standing)” starts with a reference about trying to find emotion and feeling in artwork from Willem De Kooning the Dutch-American abstract expressionist artist from the New York School of artists then turns into looking for something good in their life over a new wave melody. “Primitive Man” is heavy on guitar in the best ways and has some nice drum solos over lyrics that tell a story from the perspective of attending an ex’s wedding upset and trying to reassure themself. “Sunkissed” is drum forward over top of lyrics recalling a positive memory with gratitude.
The seventh song on the album, “Another Nightmare” is a lovely 80s groove complete with jangly guitars and a memorable drumbeat as well. The lyrics are a nice contrast with the more upbeat melody. In “Love To Walk Away” the lyrics are obsessed and distraught, and the pace of the melody pairs perfectly with it. “The Dreamer” drops the album title among a couple other references with lyrics that are ultimately hopeful paired with a sunny melody The closing song, “Anonymous in Los Feliz” features a driving drum beat with complimentary guitars over lyrics that are reflective.
Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations gets 4 of 5 Scum Drops from me. I went back and forth between 3.5 and 4 as I was listening and writing this review, but ultimately this album fits into Very Good album relative to other 2024 releases, territory. The album further illustrates that The Vaccines are good at what they do…create Pop songs with sometimes poignant lyrics accompanied with great guitars, drums and other songs that are indie rock chants. This is probably their best album in a decade. Check it out.
Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations tracklist [song length]:
- Sometimes, I Swear [3:38]
- Heartbreak Kid [3:00]
- Lunar Eclipse [2:56]
- Discount De Kooning (Last One Standing) [3:49]
- Primitive Man [3:10]
- Sunkissed [3:01]
- Another Nightmare [3:05]
- Love To Walk Away [2:07]
- The Dreamer [3:39]
- Anonymous in Los Feliz [3:06]
Total run time: 31:31
I’ll always advocate that you take the time to listen to every album in its entirety. This process is usually an hour or less from start to finish. Along the way, you’ll discover your own favorite songs without influence or bias of others. After a few listens on my own, the songs that are highlighted in green font above are my favorite songs on the album.
Check out the band’s socials, tour info, and merch here.
Thanks for reading and supporting good music.
Until next time,
Alex
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
