The Vaccines - Pick-Up Full Of Pink Carnations

Coming off the bubbling highs of their recent extra-planetary ventures, indie mainstays The Vaccines have jumped on the rocket ship and hit the road once again for their Americana-infused, retro-influenced sixth LP, 'Pick Up Full of Pink Carnations'.

This was not necessarily a planned journey but one that made complete sense for the band; after meeting producer Andrew Wells and finding freedom recording in the Hollywood Hills, an instinctive and honest sound began to form a clear direction of its own. It binds that familiar euphoric melancholy with a nostalgic sensibility that even The Vaccines' earliest works left untouched.

Lead guitarist Freddie Cowan's departure has meant that touring member Timothy Lanham is now stepping into the foreground without missing a beat; the four-piece's enthusiasm for their own exploits spurs their momentum forward and reignites that ever-exciting spark. No wonder new waves of fans flock to the four-piece with each new era.

Adding to their existing instrumental landscape, well-placed touches of gentle disco groove settle in to underpin tracks like 'Sunkissed' and 'Discount De Kooning', reflecting some timely learnings from recent side-projects, Halloweens and Room Service. The group's pace doesn't slow, with further cuts' Primitive Man' and 'Another Man' riding those thrashing and addictive melodies from start to finish.

One of the main barometers for the success of a new Vaccines album is: does it introduce new live favourites? The answer here is absolutely yes, but they've introduced those songs as part of a work that stands on its own, too; the world-building and sharp top-lines of 'Back In Love City' recur, despite much of that pop-centric effort being left in the dust of this pink-tinted Cadillac.

A British group thrust in the Californian sun, the foreign light shines nicely on this ten-tracker and exposes more full-hearted unison than fragmentation. The Vaccines may talk about disillusionment, but ultimately, their latest record demands that we keep dreaming. They don't have to ask twice.