THE VACCINES

What Did You Expect From the Vaccines?

[Columbia]

By the sound of it, the Vaccines love a lot of Ramones songs—but if they had to pick a favorite, they might go with the Tom Waits cover “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up.” The title could be a motto for the Vaccines—four good-natured British 20-somethings wary of the adult world. “I’m perfectly aware of what I’m yet to know,” Justin Young sings on “Under Your Thumb,” putting his fragile heart in the hands of another. One thing the Vaccines do know is timeless rock ’n’ roll. What Did You Expect is exactly what you’d expect from guys raised not only on the Ramones, but also the Beach Boys, the Clash, and the Jesus and Mary Chain. None of these songs are going to change the world, but there’s time for that later. For now, the Vaccines are wide-eyed and openhearted, taking it all in. —Kenneth Partridge