VACCINES - Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations

I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck

With a pink carnation and a pickup truck

But I knew I was out of luck

The day the music died

(“American Pie”, Don McLean)

Justin Young keeps updating the power-pop arsenal of his Vaccines with their sixth chapter, titled “Pick-Up Full Of Pink Carnations”. The title is a quote from one of the defining anthems of American music, Don McLean's “American Pie”: for a few years now, in fact, the frontman has left his native England behind to live in America. A choice that also echoed, on a compositional level, through the previous “Back In Love City” (2021).

Born in the Hollywood Hills, “Pick-Up Full Of Pink Carnations” – their first work without longtime guitarist Freddie Cowan – is produced by Andrew Wells (who has already worked with Halsey and Phoebe Bridgers) and features Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala) on mixing duties.

The result – with no major upheavals and in pure Vaccines style – is a burst of pop, often genuinely engaging. The best example is the opening track, “Sometimes, I Swear”, which once again confirms Young's knack for crafting perfect, irresistible choruses – often true stadium-ready anthems, remember “Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)”? – all backed by the guitars.

Having started off on the right foot, helped along by the following “Heartbreak Kid” and “Lunar Eclipse”, one wonders what level the album will settle at. Thanks to the brief runtime and the way the tracks are put together, the pick-up ride proceeds smoothly and pleasantly, buoyed by the retro and wave touches of “Discount De Kooning (Last One Standing)” and “Another Nightmare”.

Ride the wave of great music

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18/01/2024