The Vines

Winning Days

Capitol Records

Recommended…

The Vines

Winning Days

Capitol Records

Recommended if you like: The Strokes, The Hives

Curiosity is something that leads us all to The Vines. After the release of Highly Evolved, The Vines found themselves in a whirlwind of press and fame. All of the countless interviews with lead singer Craig Nicholls leave a person intrigued. A certain mystery leads all music critics and fanatics to trace a cult-like following behind The Vines.

The Vines sophomore effort, Winning Days, is more melodic than their first release, but retains the fury and confusion they are known for. Versatility is what carries this album to its three-star status. It’s a fusion of music from every era of rock, and it takes you from heavy and rough to acoustic and melodic and back again.

The album starts with their first single, and probably their most radio-friendly effort on the album. It has a poppy, fun feel with a steady guitar rhythm, making it a smart decision to introduce the album with this song. Melodic and fun, this song is a great way to start off the album.

When listening to the second track, “Animal Machine,” the fury and rawness of Nicholls’ scratchy voice truly radiates through the first single. This is more of a representation of their first efforts as a band.

“TV Pro” starts with a psychedelic, trippy aura and then bursts into heavy guitars for an awesome and unique combination. It has a very ’70s feel to it; it is a good display of The Vines’ versatility. “Amnesia” has the same feel but at a slower pace.

“Autumn Shade 2” is an acoustic track that slows down the pace of the album. Like the calm before the storm, this track holds the same quietness and peacefulness. You almost expect to hear birds chirp as the song fades into silence. The title song, “Winning Days,” and “Sunchild” also follow that calm, soothing, acoustic sound that adds melody to the mix.

“Evil Town” is also one of the quieter songs on the album, but it’s the best display of fury in Nicholls’ voice. The guitars don’t show the vehemence and pain in the track as much as his vocals, which carry the feeling from the beginning to the end.

“She’s Got Something to Say to Me” is reminiscent of an old Beatles song.

The last track, “F–k the World,” is the perfect bookend for this album. “F–k the fields and/Destroy the ocean/Roll the wheels up/Forget the notion/Life’s so dead and/The form is slow/The mind’s peculiar so/F–k the world up.”

Just let the lyrics speak for themselves. It would be a great encore song at their show. Imagine the song trailing on as Nicholls continues rolling around on the stage, breaking everything in sight. Isn’t rock just beautiful?

Winning Days is a great display of rock versatility. It has just a taste of what is to come from one of the few bands that are fighting to bring pure, raw rock back onto the scene.