‘Minimal Affection’ combines the apathetic moodiness we’ve come to expect from The Vaccines with the space-age feel that’s seemingly come to characterize the aesthetic of English Graffiti. That said, it’s a very different beast to the album’s two previous releases.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UyWVYQC81U&w=740&h=422]
Unlike the brash, almost obnoxious ‘Handsome’, ‘Minimal Affection’ shows The Vaccines going back to basics, stripping the track down to its bare bones and then propping it up again with a swaggering groove. Staccato synth stabs ping pong over a lo-fi bassline until Freddie Cowan’s roaring fuzz drenched guitar makes a welcome return in the chorus. Meanwhile, Justin Young mulls over the pitfalls of 21st century romance in his distinctive rasp “You forget how to make a connection / when you’ve wanted one for so long.” As a third offering, one thing is abundantly clear – English Graffiti is going to be a stonker.
Words by Thomas Johnston