On the heels of a two-year break, Britain's
the Vamps
return with their fourth and most mature recording to date, 2020's
Cherry Blossom
. The album, which follows 2017's U.K. chart-topping
Night & Day
, finds the group collaborating with a handful of top-level producers and songwriters, including
Jack & Coke
(
Tove Lo
,
Carly Rae Jepsen
),
Lostboy
Kwassa
Anne-Marie
), and
JHart
Little Mix
Fifth Harmony
). In the past, the band have explored guitar-based pop, electronic dance music, and romantic boy-band balladry. Still teenagers when
started, here they bring all of that past experience to bear on a handful of assured and inspired songs that fit the group as they enter their mid-twenties. Rife with electronic and R&B undercurrents, the album showcases the band's deepened sense for hooky songcraft, a vibe that brings to mind the work of artists like
Justin Timberlake
and
Maroon 5
. Lead singer
Bradley Simpson
, who helped oversee the album's production, pushed the group towards a more sophisticated brand of pop that's both stylish and marked by just enough self-aware humor to keep things fun. On the kinetic and funky "Married in Vegas,"
Simpson
paints a wry picture of Sin City romance, singing "Pushing 106 down PCH/I drink you down, the aftertaste/Tastes like heartbreak and mistakes, but I can't wait." Other engaging tracks follow, including the '80s adult contemporary-sounding "Would You," the
Terence Trent D'Arby
-esque "Bitter," and the neo-soul-inspired "Protocol." We also get the nervy electro-funk of "Chemicals" and the synthy, soundtrack-ready anthem "Nothing But You." As the title implies,
is an album of new beginnings that also works as a milestone in
' career. ~ Matt Collar