Like a lot of people, I discovered The Vaselines through Nirvana. But it would have been great to think that people would have found the Vaselines’ music anyway, the connection certainly did them no harm. Having broken up at the end of the eighties with one album and two EPS to their name, they started performing together again in the last decade and both as a support band and headliner. Their second album together as The Vaselines and first in two decades Sex With An X was them showing that they could still most definitely cut it.
So, four years on, can The Vaselines still cut it? Well…yes…but several listens in this is not as strong as their other material. It’s not to say that it’s a weak or average album, it’s good and a solid enough release, it’s just not as spectacular as their other records. Too much of this album just feels a bit like a band influenced by The Vaselines.
There are, however, some excellent moments here which are worth checking out. Album opener and single ‘High Tide Low Tide’ provides an excellent entrance to the LP, ‘Single Spies’ is softer and country-inflected and ‘Earth Is Speeding’ sees them chanelling the still on hiatus* Sonic Youth. So still worth hearing, if not at the top of your to buy list, then.
[Rating:3]
