On their 2002 debut album, "Highly Evolved," The Vines polarized rock fans -- while some praised them as being the next saviors of rock, other fans denounced them as sloppy Nirvana rip-offs. Their public behavior didn't help their reputation in the eyes of their critics. They were thrown off "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" for trashing their set during a dress rehearsal, and reportedly the lead singer, Craig Nicholls, would often show up unfit to perform for concerts and public events.
However, despite these public relations disasters, it has always been the forcefulness of the The Vines' music that has kept them in the public spotlight. Imprecise playing added to their spontaneous charm, while everything -- the band as an entity, the instruments and Nicholl's voice -- seemed to be on the verge of coming apart. The act of coming apart added to the nihilistic excitement that The Vines generated on their album and during live performances. Songs like "Outtathaway!" gained popularity for their combination of melodic hooks and chaos, and more often than not on "Highly Evolved," The Vines precariously balanced the two.
On their new album, "Winning Days," this balance is consistently off, and The Vines seem to have forgotten some of the idiosyncrasies that made them interesting to begin with.
Take, for example, "Ride," the first single off of "Winning Days." The production sounds too polished for a band that relies on its intensity; the drumming is clear and midtempo, the guitar riff is crisp and Nicholl's voice has been digitally altered to create background instrumentals. In the past, Rob Schnapf, who produced both of The Vines' albums, allowed for some of the rough edges of the band to show; guitars would choke on an overabundance of distortion and Nicholl's howling, cracking voice would mix in with its imperfections in tact. Rather than giving the impression that the band was unskilled, however, the rough mix gave "Highly Evolved" an uncensored, uncompromising feel.
A significant subtraction of this component on "Winning Days" cripples the band's effectiveness, and although there is no doubt that these songs will be infused with excitement in a live setting, they amount to calculated noise on the album. The song "TV Pro" is precisely divided into loud/soft dynamics, and thus, it doesn't retain any excitement from the contrast. In fact, the abruptness of the shift, combined with the instrumentation itself, reminds the listener of a subpar "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."
Unoriginality is prevalent throughout "Winning Days." The title song, while noticeably more melodic and thought out than other cuts on the album, also sounds radio-manufactured with its pop-esque hooks and layered vocals. It would not be a surprise if this song turned out to be the second single off of "Winning Days," and whenever one can make educated guesses about a record label's marketing decisions, it demonstrates how much album filler is present.
The lyrics are probably the most frustrating aspect of the album, and they are alternatively insightful and immature. On the chorus for "Sunchild," Nicholls sings, "Forgot about the engine in the rain. / Don't let it bring you down / For us that ain't the way. / We'll keep our lives reserved for those who have to pray. / But I can't." The self-aware diction in lines such as these is contradicted sharply by the profanity-filled, childish rebellion of other songs. From a musical perspective, "F.T.W.," along with "Animal Mother," is one of the strongest, most melodic cuts on the album. However, the lyrics ruin the song, and Nicholls screams, "F*** the world!" ad nauseam. The result, while it was probably meant to be jarring and inspiring, is instead laughable.
The Vines' "Winning Days" is full of good musical ideas that are executed in a poor fashion, and the result is an emotionally stagnant collection of songs. The atmosphere of restraint works directly against The Vines' strengths, and instead of unbridled fury, the listener is given packaged pseudo-rebellion. "Winning Days" is the sophomore slump that many artists fear, and hopefully, The Vines will learn from their mistakes and grow from here.
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