Comments:
A few years ago, when the short-lived new "retro" vibe of
bands starting polluting the scene with bands like The Strokes and
Jet, one band lumped in with them but far more interesting and talented
was The Vines. One of the flat-out weirdest videos you'll ever see
is to their song "Get Free," a song that slung these guys
to worldwide stardom. While other bands seemed contrived and boring,
you can't fake the energy frontman Craig Nicholls exuded. It has since
come to light that there is a reason for that-Nicholls was diagnosed
with a mild form of autism, called Asperberger's Syndrome (AS). While
his daily battle with AS kept The Vines from touring, thankfully they
can still hit the studio and release music. Their new CD Vision
Valley cements them as weird, quirky, cool and talented songwriters.
You'll
get a '70s guitar sound from the first song, "Anysound,"
almost like The Clash. The hook is huge, and Nicholls still has that
angry, breathy, snarling delivery. Yes, The Vines are back!
One
knock on the band on their first go-round was the comparisons to Nirvana.
Obviously, Nicholls doesn't care. "Nothin's Comin'" sounds
like something Cobain would write were he still drawing breaths today.
That's a compliment. Noisy, brief and catchy, the song rips.
Even
more brief is their next song, 1:40 in length, sounding like an ode
to the Beatles, called "Candy Daze." The guys can harmonize
with each other or Nicholls can shriek, like on later tracks, and
they do it all well.
Their
first single is "Don't Listen to the Radio." Sounding shockingly
close to the Beach Boys, Nicholls hides his fury and croons, at least
until the chorus. The best part about the The Vines is their ability
to incorporate all of their influences into one sound. Good song,
somewhat lame lyrics.
"Gross
Out" is next, a fast and heavy song. They end the song with barking,
choking, yelling vocals, proving that they never shy away from their
true calling-weirdness.
The
song which should at least win an award for "Song Title of the
Year" is the hilarious "Futuretarded." Try these lyrics
on for size: "I don't know how the future started; we might as
well all be retarded." The song is only 1:47 in length, and is
a raw, garage sounding composition. Still, it has a message: whatever
happened before and whatever happens next, doesn't matter. At least
to some people …
Vision
Valley is a damn strong CD. While their influences drip from each
track, especially on the psychedelic "Spaceship," The Vines
don't sound like anyone else. It is obvious that tortured artists
do create the best art.
Track
listing:
1. Anysound
2. Nothins Comin
3. Candy Daze
4. Vision Valley
5. Don't Listen To The Radio
6. Gross Out
7. Take Me Back
8. F*@ Yeh
9. Going Gone
10. Futuretarded
11. Dope Train
12. Atmos
13. Spaceship
HRH
Rating: 8.1/10
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