I don‰’t usually like to place the word “favorite‰” on any musician, any album, or any song. “Favorite‰” is too strong of a word for the vast quantities of great music that exists in the world. However, I am willing to make an exception for one particular song. The song is “Wetsuit‰” by a band called The Vaccines and it essentially describes the many difficulties of leaving adolescence and entering adulthood. A popular topic among many musical groups, aging is presented to the audience in “Wetsuit‰” through the unique merging of multiple musical qualities that gives the song its simple, yet beautiful qualities.

The first of many distinctive features of this song is its incredibly expressive lyrics, both straightforward and metaphorical. The lead singer of The Vaccines, Justin Hayward-Young, describes how “time gets harder to outrun‰” and how maturity is “up and after you‰Û, which can be exhausting and hard to face. Additionally, Young intertwines these simpler lyrics with more complex ones: “With a cool cool breeze and dirty knees/I rest on childhood memories/We all got old at breakneck speed/Slow it down, go easy on me‰Û. The chorus of the song serves as the ultimate representation of holding on to youth, shielding out adulthood by wearing a wetsuit and growing out your hair: “Put a wetsuit on, come on, come on/‰Û¬Grow your hair out long, come on, come on/‰Û¬Put a t-shirt on/‰Û¬Do me wrong, do me wrong, do me wrong‰Û.

The most unique aspect of “Wetsuit‰Û, however, is that it is virtually impossible to place a specific genre or style with it. The music of The Vaccines ranges everywhere, from 50s Rock n‰’ Roll to modern, alternative-indie. “Wetsuit‰Û, like many of The Vaccines‰’ songs, combines elements of many different musical genres, layering stylistic sounds, one on top of the other, ultimately making categorizing the piece difficult to do. The keyboard, for example, which alternates between smooth and choppy lines, closely resembles 80s pop tunes, composed of electronic and synthesized sounds. By contrast, the choral and modal back-up vocals of lead guitarist, Freddie Cowan, offer a different stylistic touch. The reoccurring sound of “ooh” and “aah‰Û, barely noticeable in the background, sounds similar to the sweet vocals of 50s pop music. The drums lend to the excitement of the piece. Though the piece, for the most part, is steady and mellow, the drummer, Pete Robertson, along with the simple, beat-marking sound of bass player, Arni Arnason, give the song its up-tempo and stimulating nature through a series of faster, pulsating beats of classic Rock.

The reason why I consider “Wetsuit‰” to be one of my “favorite‰” songs, and perhaps, the most significant reason for its popularity, is that “Wetsuit‰” successfully attempts to characterize the hardships of growing up, something everyone can relate to. The song, as a whole, stresses adults‰’ inevitable desire to go back to their “pure‰” youth. It emphasizes, especially, that appreciating youth is hard to do when you are a youth yourself.