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In 2002 a little known band from the inner suburbia of Sydney shot to superstardom of the back of their globally acclaimed debut album Highly Evolved. As with almost any rise of such meteoric proportions, The Vines, a worldwide phenomenon, struggled to come to grips with public adulation and sailed very close to wind of rock implosion with a string of onstage rows, public breakdowns and turbulent behaviour, assisted in part by frontman Craig Nicholls being diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome.
Fast forward to 2008, and following the release of two subsequent and commercially disastrous albums Winning Days and Vision Valley, The Vines are back (some might say to test our patience again) in what has been touted as the band’s return to form.
Whilst many critics and fans alike may feel that The Vines have simply outstayed there welcome, and lost all form of relevance in today’s ever so competitive market, this album should be given the benefit of being ‘innocent until proven guilty’ - and should be administered with listeners removing all pre-conceived opinions of the band’s previous two releases.
Melodia is the closest they’ve come to recapturing the essence of Highly Evolved and in some instances pushes the boundaries of The Vines’ simplistic brand of slipshod rock.
String laden True As the Night is probably the most ambitious track ever attempted by the band and provides the centrepiece for the album. An epic by The Vines’ standards clocking in at six minutes and seven, boosting the two minute average of this fourteen track release.
Other standouts include the balls-out rock intro of Get Out, latest single He’s a Rocker, Merrygoround and the mesmerising atmospheric closer of She is Gone. The melodies are simple, yet appealing, and will provide the soundtrack for days after listening.
Many will be surprised by this release, not just that The Vines are still around, but they are back.
Reviewed by d-Moose |
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