The Vaselines adventure shows no sign of stopping. The band have returned with news of a new album, V for Vaselines, which is out on September 29th via Rosary Music. Lets not forget, this is 25 years after their debut came out on the legendary 53rd & 3rd label, with the band and its two main protagonists, Eugene Kelly & Frances McKee, split up the very same week. In fact, had it not been for the support and patronage of Kurt Cobain (Nirvana covered three Vaselines tracks) that might have been the end of the story. Instead, with McKee and Kelly both writing and recorded seperately in the intervening years, they reformed in 2008 to play Sub Pop’s 20th anniversary festival as well as some further shows around the world. This eventually led to the release of their second album, Sex With An X, on Sub Pop in 2010.
The new record sees contributions from Michael McGaughrin (1990s), Frank Macdonald (Teenage Fanclub), Stevie Jackson (Belle & Sebastian), Graeme Smillie (Olympic Swimmers), Paul Foley (Mandrake Shepherd) and Scott Patterson (Sons & Daughters), it was inspired after Eugene saw a Ramones covers band in his native Glasgow “After that, I just wanted to write some really short punk rock songs, just get into people’s ear really straight away, and then get out of there really quickly.”
From the record the band are streaming a new track, One Lost Year. It bursts into life with its usual (well, usual for The Vaselines) almost ramshackle DIY indie rock, the accompaniment grinding, squealing rippling – but never harsh. Over the top of that the band deliver, once again, something so loveable, with its pop sensibility and boy/girl vocals and singalong chorus, that the only shame of it is that its only the third album that’s coming out. Whatever you do, Vaselines, don’t stop now.
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