2014 studio album by The Vamps
Meet the Vamps is the debut studio album by British pop band The Vamps. It was initially released in Australia and New Zealand on 11 April 2014, and released in the United Kingdom through Virgin EMI Records on 14 April. The album includes the UK top-five singles "Can We Dance", "Wild Heart", "Last Night" and "Somebody to You".
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. It debuted at number two in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, kept off number one in both countries by Caustic Love by Paolo Nutini. It was the 23rd best selling album in 2014 in the UK.[4]
Background and promotion
After James McVey met Brad Simpson via YouTube in late 2011, the duo began working together on their debut album.[5] They later met Tristan Evans and Connor Ball and became a four-piece. They signed a record deal with Mercury Records in November 2012. On 22 March 2014, The Vamps announced that their debut album would be called Meet the Vamps and would be released on 15 April 2014.[6]
The Vamps embarked on their first ever UK headline tour in support of their debut studio album and played 14 dates across the country. They made the announcement via their Twitter account on 12 February 2014.[7]
Reception
Critical reception
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. AllMusic critic Matt Collar noted that the album "showcases the group's high-energy mix of melodic pop and dance music."[1] Lewis Corner of Digital Spy gave the album a positive review, stating, "...Meet packs a big enough pop punch to pierce through the oversaturated landscape and get itself noticed. They may have a lot of competition out there, but The Vamps have proven that they are more than capable to take on the challenge."[10] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian also gave the album a positive review. She said, "segments of Meet the Vamps are verifiably bandy", but also felt that "there are many moments when it would be hard to pick the Vamps out of a lineup alongside One Direction and Peter Andre (whose "Mysterious Girl" clearly provided much of the inspiration for "Girls on TV"). This is where their origins as a YouTube covers act are most evident, and the need for a voice of their own most felt."[11] Virgin Media's Matthew Horton called the album "an appealing effort that adds something to the pop landscape".
Commercial performance
Meet the Vamps debuted at number two on the Irish Albums Chart, behind Paolo Nutini's Caustic Love.[13] The same album kept it off the number one spot on the UK Albums Chart.[14] It sold 47,160 in its first week, and was the 23rd biggest selling album of 2014. It has been certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of over 300,000 copies.
In Australia, the album debuted at number three on the ARIA Charts, behind the Frozen soundtrack and The New Classic by Iggy Azalea. In the United States, the album debuted at No. 40 on the Billboard 200 albums chart on its first week of release,[15] with around 10,000 copies sold. As of October 2015, the album has sold 51,000 copies in the US.[16]
