ALBUM REVIEW: The Vamps - Night & Day (Day Edition)

Nearly a year on from the release of their last album Night & Day (Night Edition), The Vamps are releasing the Day Edition of the two-part concept album. Last year’s effort saw the quartet gain their first number one album and has provided them with their most successful year to date. It’s a busy time in The Vamps world right now with them just announcing their 2019 Four Corners Tour where you can no doubt expect to hear many of these album tracks live. Now to the important bit, what did we at CelebMix think of Night & Day (Day Edition).

Night & Day (Day Edition) features four of The Vamps latest singles, bringing us to the perfect starting place for our review. The release opens up with current single Just My Type, the heavily guitar led track kicks off with a big, catchy guitar riff. From the onset, it appears The Vamps have continued taking their sound in a new, mature direction both musically and lyrically. Singing of that person which isn’t good for you but because of that you crave them even more, it’s a fun little number with the obligatory catchy Vamps chorus. Performed on their latest tour fans are already familiar with this track and a video for it has just been released which you can check out below. We love, love, we love it!

Ever since vocalist Brad Simpson told us about Hair Too Long last year, we just knew it was going to become one of our favourite The Vamps song. When it was released earlier this year, we were proved right. The repetitive stuttering guitar line is the perfect backdrop for Brad Simpson’s sass-filled vocals and on the introduction of drums from Tristan Evans is when the fun really begins. Perfectly planned to be released as a summer soundtrack album it’s just that, you’ll find yourself fighting the urge to sing along. Lyrically the relationship based tracks are coming out in full force but in a reflective style (including admitting it was partially you to blame) showing progression even from their 2017 release up until now.

Too Good To Be True is one of The Vamps more slept on tracks, but that won’t stay that way for long. Featuring vocals from Machine Gun Kelly and seeing The Vamps teaming up with Danny Avila it’s a full blown club vibed track which the quartet are experimenting more and more with. All Night, taken from the Night edition has become their most successful track to date seeing them received regular global plays. We love that there’s still the undertones of a great Vamps song here which remind you just who you’re listening to on this release. Plus who doesn’t love a bit of Machine Gun Kelly especially with The Vamps thrown in.

On both the Night & Day albums, one thing is clear…. The quartet are loving dueting with new artists. One of which being Pretty Girl singer Maggie Lindemann on Personal, a two-sided song about when you see the person you like with someone else but just know they should be with you. Tristan Evan’s drumlines come into their own on this driving track, providing the heart of the beat. The use of dual vocals brings a new dynamic to this track, telling a story from two points of view with a healthy dose of emotion thrown in for good measure.

Now to the bit we’ve all been waiting for, the six new tracks on the release. Starting with Talk Later an effective, repetitive combination of drum and guitar lines instantly fixates within your brain. It’s impossible to not talk about the sensual and quite frankly seductive lyric and vocal element of this track shown through lines such as “in the hotel lobby you tell me that you want me” and “after we’re naked when your body says just what it wants“. Taking a step out of boyband territory and opening up to the older section of their audience it’s going to become a fan favourite, trust us. Don’t think, just do and go check out this track.

If you’re looking for the ultimate summer feel-good track which takes you right back to The Vamps, Meet The Vamps days we’d recommend For You. We’ve already seen fans across social media proclaiming how they can’t wait to hear this live, surrounded by their friends with a couple of tears – relatable. A beautiful piano-led introduction is complemented with a very simple drum line yet highly effective drumline which just makes us want to stand up, sing along and clap along to. With undeniably the best and biggest chorus either of their Night & Day albums, it’s uplifting, motivational and no doubt set to be the highlight of upcoming Vamps live shows. From catchy guitar lines, a driving drum lines, big singalong moments, vocals which make your world a bit brighter and heartwarming lyrics like “if you still got some space in your heart I will tear this world apart for you“. The Vamps have always spoken about how important their fans are but now this song is one fans have been relating to their experience with the quartet. Right now we’re going to say it might be our favourite The Vamps song as everything we love about the quartet features in this love song/ballad.

Now for a totally different style of track, What Your Father Says received it’s live debut earlier this week at their ‘secret show’ for Sofar Sounds. Think old The Vamps mixed flawlessly with their new grown up and real sound and this is the outcome. There are hints of club-inspired beats yet lashings of emotional powerful hidden within the track from the onset. Everything has come together for this track, fiery guitar lines, pounding drumlines and a little bit of rebellion and naughtiness gives it a musical kick. On the explicit version of this album, it sees a little swear word being placed in the line “forget what your father says” but we’ll leave that to your imagination here. Singing of a forbidden love which you’re willing to do anything for Brad recently revealed that he’s never met any father’s like this leading us to wonder which Vamps member has and inspired this track…

Another collaboration on the release comes with Cheap Wine on which they’ve teamed up with Kris Kross Amsterdam. A heavily club inspired track, it’s beat-driven and incredibly catchy but with a typically Vamps chorus giving this all the makings for a fan favourite, we mean it’s already one of ours. Our only nag at this point would be it sounds a little too similar at points to other club tracks on this release but what saves this is the relatable chorus. Who hasn’t drunk too much cheap wine, said what’s on their mind and wanted someone to know that “I’m drinking about you“. There’s subtle whilst strong drum lines, big drops and funky guitar lines as they’ve created a sound which they’ve now comfortably grown in to.

It’s a bit of a musical rollercoaster as we work our way through Night & Day (Day Edition) as we go from wanted to have a drink in our hand dancing in the sunshine to sitting in a park with a special person just appreciating the relationship you have with them. Time Is Not Our Side comes in with the most emotional, tear-jerking and sincere sound we’ve heard from the quartet all released. Simplicity here is best, the guitars, drums and vocals are raw which allows the focus to be on the strength of the vocals. Lyrically once again this love based track shines brightly as lines such as “can we stop the clock for now?” and “can we stay right here and never leave?” although simplistic strike a chord within thanks to the musical arrangement. Debuted on their 2017 Middle Of The Night Tour fans have eagerly been awaiting a studio version of this track and it really did not disappoint. The fans who fell in love with it then have fallen even more in love with the ballad which tugs at every single heartstring without really trying to.

As the release draws to a close it’s left to Pictures Of Us to end on a high, which it easily achieves. The sassy vocals of Brad Simpson come straight in with a rockier combination of thumping drumlines and swirling guitar lines. There’s a significant amount of love talk on this release “every time I think I’m moving on I stumble on pictures of us“. Once again the quartet play with the club sound the Night Edition of the album brought to light but still retaining a trademark Vamps sound. We’re not entirely sure this is the strongest track to ‘end’ the release on but regardless of this we know we’ll be playing this a lot over the summer!

As time goes on and The Vamps release new music it’s evident that they’re evolving musically with each release, changing their sound in subtle ways but retaining what made their loyal fanbase fall in love with them. Night & Day (Day Edition) has big footsteps to follow in thanks to it’s predecessor hitting the number one spot last year, but you know what? With the support they’ve got we have a feeling we might be telling you how they hit the top spot with it next week. Now onto their fourth album, it doesn’t appear they’re going to be slowing down any time soon. The Vamps are a band whose journey you can’t help enjoy watching with them getting the success they deserve whilst releasing stronger, fresher material release after release. If you want a summer soundtrack, you’ve found one thanks to The Vamps.

Skip to Just My Type, For You and Time Is Not On Our Side.

With the Night Edition being the first part in the Night & Day story it leads on from the ten new tracks to complete the album’s setlist. If you’d like to hear what we thought about the Night Edition when we reviewed it last year then head here.

Stream Night & Day (Day Edition) on iTunes and Spotify or buy a physical copy from their official website here.

What do you think of The Vamps new album? Tweet us @CelebMix and let us know.

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