Vines

Remember the Vines? They were the Aussie band, who in 2002 owned MTV’s airspace with the Nirvana sounding scorcher "Get Free.” They’re also the same group who almost destroyed their uber-successful career with 2003’s shockingly awful Winning Days. As their sophomore effort was going nowhere, the Vines’ lead singer Craig Nicholls was having major problems controlling his behaviour (he was later diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome) and it looked like the band’s days were numbered. Somehow, though, the Vines survived and even got it together to record a new album, Vision Valley. Like their first album, Highly Evolved, this disc is pure mid-’90s grunge. "Dope Train” is angst-y, brash and loud — it almost sounds like it’s off Nirvana’s Insecticide, while the melodic verses and screaming choruses in "Gross Out” would fit nicely on In Utero. It’s not all Kurt Cobain rip-offs though, the Vines are a lot poppier than Nirvana, and often come off sounding like Ash. Although Vision Valley is entertaining at times, it’s not nearly as meaty or as interesting as Highly Evolved, and the meandering six-minute closer "Spaceship” has no business being in the Vines’ oeuvre. What really saves this disc is timing. In 2002, the group were competing against the Hives, the Strokes and a bunch of other sound-a-likes, but now, with the Killers and Franz Ferdinand all over the radio, the Vines suddenly sound refreshing. Vision Valley won’t stand the test of time, but it’s worth a listen while it’s here.