From their humble beginnings as a band formed on YouTube, The Vamps have had huge success over the last 12 months. Signing their record deal by the end of 2012, they have had their first three singles in the top three and have supported fellow British bands McFly, The Wanted and Lawson on tour. Although it’s not necessarily the most original style, there are enough positive signs and glimmering hopes that the piece isn’t a complete mess. Though it has its flaws, it isn’t the disaster it might have been.
Their musical influences seem to vary, as opening single ‘Wild Heart’ has a Mumford & Sons feel and has lyrics that would send teenage girls crazy; “Tonight we’ll dance, I’ll be yours and you’ll be mine”. These lyrics juxtapose hugely with the happy acoustic guitar backdrop, yet it works. Debut single ‘Can We Dance’ has a McFly feel to it, which makes sense as it was released after they supported the band on their Memory Lane tour. They have mentioned in interviews that McFly are one of their biggest influences and are currently having similar success to McFly in their early days. As one of the few songs not written by the band, it shows that The Vamps have actual credibility, unlike a lot of boybands today.
The album caters to the teenage market with their latest single ‘Last Night’ having an upbeat youthful feel and referring to having a good time at a party, something most teenagers can relate to. ‘Girls On TV’ also reminds us that we live in a media-saturated society and could have a sense of irony if you consider their introduction to the music industry. With mentions of how a girl doesn’t need to appear on a game show or Hollywood movie to be seen as beautiful, and the thought of baby-faced vocalist Brad Simpson singing it, would make many a teenage girl happy. They seem to have their sound and target market sussed, with the majority of songs geared almost solely to making pre-teen/teen girls swoon. Whilst such direction will see them labelled as cynics by some, it’s an inoffensive tactic beyond the parameters of musical snobbery.
Somewhat surprisingly for such a youthful band, their recordings perform well live on stage. They are packed full of energy, understand the feverishly pent up desires of their audience and are, most importantly, bloody gorgeous!
The major flaw of the album is its over-reliance on the fact that the majority of the band’s fan base are teenage girls and could almost be considered as jumping on the One Direction bandwagon, despite having a dedicated fan base before their success, unlike the lovable ‘X-Factor’ puppies. Despite this, The Vamps are a credible band with great song writing skills, a good pop sound and huge likability. It is a decent debut album by a young talented band, who have had a great 2013 and are set to have an even better 2014.
