V for Vaselines

Personnel: Eugene Kelly, Frances McKee (vocals, guitar); Graeme Smillie (bass guitar); Michael McGaughrin (drums, percussion).
Recording information: C.O.D. Studios, Glasgow.
When the Vaselines got back together triumphantly in 2008 to play live shows, that was nothing short of miraculous. When they followed it up with the rambunctious and fun album Sex with an X in 2010, that was also pretty special. It's hard to sustain that warm and fuzzy feeling of a successful reunion for long, but the duo of Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee give it a solid effort on their second post-comeback album, V for Vaselines. It features quite a few songs with great singsong hooks ("High Tide Low Tide," "The Lonely LP") and a couple nice ballads that show the band mellowing sweetly ("Single Spies," "Last Half Hour"). ~ Tim Sendra