He's no Frankie Avalon

I'm really enjoying the new single from The Vaccines - Teenage Icon, a bubblegum burst of indie disco with a mosh pit-friendly chorus.

Lyrically, lead singer Justin Young is having a laugh at his own expense: "Reserved and shy / Your average guy / No piercing stare / Just out of shape, with messy hair". By the chorus, he's comparing himself unfavourably to a procession of teen pin-ups - like Frankie Avalon (see above) and Bobby Steele.

And THANK GOODNESS this is such a good song - because No Hope, the first single from the band's new album, Come Of Age, was totally forgettable.

As it turns out Justin turned to an unlikely (but spectacular) source of inspiration for this turnaround: "Abba are my favourite band," he told Radio 1's Newsbeat last month. "I think they're incredible. That's all I've been listening to recently.

"We're playing rock 'n' roll but, absolutely like the Beatles, we're a pop band. Like the Rolling Stones were a pop band, The Kinks, you know."

The video sees the band step into an elevator which somehow realigns their gender. This would help explain the album cover the band revealed on their website earlier this week.

Based on this evidence, it could be a corker.

The Vaccines - Teenage Idol

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