Track Review: The Vaccines – “No Hope”

Since we got pretty much exactly what we expected from The Vaccines, it’s not really a stretch to imagine finding the same warm ‘80s sound on their sophomore record. “No Hope” is the lead track from The Vaccines Come of Age. It adds some muscle and a more prominent lead, but solidifies The Vaccines’ commitment to their threadbare sound. The intro sounds very similar to “If You Wanna,” with punchy drums and that oh-so-familiar reverb-washed guitar clangor. The song’s fundamentals reveal a more comfortable group of musicians, but Justin Young’s manufactured young adult bitterness sounds disingenuous. His singing is apathetic and unpleasantly atonal, particularly at the chorus. The Vaccines’ debut wasn’t lacking for enthusiasm, but if they are actually “twenty-four and young and bored” after touring with The Walkmen, Arcade Fire and Arctic Monkeys in the span of a year, they’re probably in the wrong line of work.