The Vaselines
V for Vaselines
ROSARY MUSIC
5/10
Kurt Cobain unknowingly rescued The Vaselines’ career from footnote status, an obvious windfall/burden the band has been living with for over twenty years. Breaking up, working on solo efforts, and reforming multiple times, the Scottish duo has recently released their third album in thirty years.
Lo-fi and punk, V for Vaselines is a cheery and welcome ’50s-tinged raver that recalls simpler times—the ’90s for instance—when the gravest threat to public safety was a libidinous president. From start to finish, the album delivers snappy snare work, chugging guitar riffs, and head-bopping melodies, the combination of which borders on surf-rock. Opener “High Tide Low Tide” perfectly encapsulates a recurring theme of anticipated (summertime) romance; closer “Last Half Hour” describes a struggle to seal the deal despite an overall weariness. The additional eight songs veer between both poles; it’s a short distance but worlds vastly apart. V accurately captures the thrill of a new love, avoiding the complexities of real life.
