The Vaselines: V for Vaselines

V for Vaselines
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Artist: The Vaselines
Genre: Alternative
Label: Rosary Records

Three albums in 28 years? The Vaselines aren't the most prolific band ever, but Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee's impact on a generation of musicians can't be discounted. It's easy to see why the Glasgow duo, last reformed in 2008, were beloved of Kurt Cobain, given the scuzzy grunge of songs such as Earth Is Speeding and The Lonely LP, while their swoonsome brand of indiepop – heard here on Single Spies, with the two trading laid-back vocals – predates Belle & Sebastian. Their short, sharp blasts of indie-rock have the succinct lyrics to match, as Crazy Lady ("Goodbye crazy lady, I'm over you") and Number One Crush ("Being with you kills my IQ") demonstrate. Three decades on, The Vaselines are still teaching the kids a thing or two. thevaselines.co.uk

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy is a freelance journalist and broadcaster. She writes about music and the arts for The Irish Times