SOUND BITES

When last I talked about The Vaccines, I was comparing their third record ( English Graffiti ) to a steak served with shit thanks to the production style of Dave Fridmann, my favourite Loudness Wars punching bag. What made that record so frustrating was that it was so difficult to listen to purely from a technical standpoint, because the songwriting exhibited growth even as it strayed from the guitar-centric impulses of their first pair of albums. As it turns out, what seemed like a surefire recipe for success on paper became the band's most divisive record, resulting in mixed reviews, middling sales and the departure of a drummer. Combat Sports isn't a full retreat, but there is more focus on guitars (and zero involvement from Fridmann) even though they also hired their touring keyboardist on as a full-time member. Perhaps the resulting album could best be described as the album English Graffiti should have been, one that displays their sharpened songwriting and more mel...

Usually, as spring gives way to summer album releases dry up. In 2015, however, it didn't really feel like the case. Sure, there were less albums released than in the spring but pretty much every week in June and July saw something worthwhile hit the shelves. Plus, there are a couple from July 10th, which is the date all new releases shifted from Tuesdays to Fridays. This batch of nominees also represents a nice cross section of new and emerging bands, established acts and long dormant bands breaking long silences. Our third set of Song of the Year Nominees are:

  Over the course of their first two records, The Vaccines have built up a sizeable fan base with their energetic brand of post-punk infused indie rock. It's served them well, giving them a pair of gold records in their homeland UK, so what better way to break out on a larger scale than to pair with producer extraordinaire Dave Fridmann and make your typically pleasant songs virtually unlistenable? You may have heard lead single  Handsome , in its volume-regulated incarnation, on TV commercials. On record, Fridmann's "technique" ensures that the drums obliterate all other sounds, their incredible levels of distortion creating a vaccuum through which all other instruments are sucked. On current single  Dream Lover , the guitar fights back, mixed even louder than the obnoxious drums and coming off buzzy and piercing. It should be noted that these are both fantastic songs underneath all of that professional production. It's the equivalent of discovering a restaurant ...