The Vaccines Fall Short on Pick Up Full of Pink Carnations
English indie rockers, The Vaccines, make their return with their sixth studio album, Pick-up Full of Pink Carnations. This new album was put together despite band member departures with co-founding band member Freddie Cowan exiting the band in 2023. The band’s sixth record on the surface seems to have a great sound but ultimately offers more of the same indie pop the band has been producing for over a decade.
The album’s opening track, Sometimes, I Swear, is a slow starting tune, with just guitar and isolated vocals, but quickly picks up, and leads into the album with a fast-paced pop song. Sometimes, I Swear, encapsulates the overall vibe of Pick-up Full of Pink Carnations.
The song explores self-doubt and the feeling of not belonging. Sometimes, I swear, It feels like I don’t belong anywhere, I swear, sometimes, It feels like I don’t belong anywhere, Sometimes, I swear, Sometimes, I don’t belong anywhere.” The lyrics are repetitive and there’s no clear bridge within the song, which doesn’t give the tune a lot of depth and didn’t pique any interest from me.
The second and third songs on the tracklist, Heartbreak Kid and Lunar Eclipse prove some redemption for the London quartet as these two songs feel very reminiscent of a summery indie pop playlist. Both songs are accompanied by a fast-paced guitar and dreamy-sounding vocals. These tracks both echo similarities to hits from the band’s debut album, such as Post Break Up Sex and If You Wanna – two tracks which have remained set-list staples some ten years later. And while these two tracks aren’t necessarily the deepest lyrics or most complex guitar riffs, the pair offer an upbeat vibe and could be a fun listen to come spring and summer.
In tracks Discount De Kooning (Last One Standing) and Another Nightmare, the album starts to fall off somewhat and deviates from the Tumblr-laced indie pop vibe that the band is looking for, and more so leans into an Imagine Dragons-esqe sound.
“Maybe we should keep on dancing, Maybe we should keep on dancing, I feel like something good is gonna happen, Don’t care if I’m the last one standing,” sings lead vocalist Justin Hayward-Young in Discount De Kooning (Last One Standing). These lyrics simply fall short and are repeated through the entirety of the song, leaving listeners yearning for a little more.
The closing track of the album, Anonymous in Loz Feliz, redeems the album, similar to tracks two and three, however, it feels as though it’s too little too late. Nonetheless, Anonymous in Loz Feliz is a genuinely fun song, with a great drum line and lyrics that feel like running away, top down in a convertible with the world at your hands.
“Last night you got in my eye line, Feels like it was a lifetime, I got in your head, Ran my fingers through all your anger, Wrapped around like an anchor, Held us by a thread, And I know it’s not your fault, gave it everything you had, Can you see it’s not my fault from where you’re at? Baby, don’t forget when you’re famous, Love’s anonymous, faceless, So show yourself to me, And come on back for me, Waiting at the end of the century, I can’t sleep with a memory, So show yourself to me, And come on back for me,” sings Hayward-Young in Anonymous in Loz Feliz.
Overall, the album was a bit of a disappointment to listeners, including myself. With a large resurgence and interest in the 2014 Tumblr aesthetic, myself and many other listeners were expecting big things from The Vaccines, but the album simply falls short of the mark.
