Craig Nicholls is reputed to be a troubled soul. From his McDonald’s binging to on-stage freakouts, his every move has been well-chronicled. Such is the way with the ultra-talented. Ever since combining the raw energy and riffs of Nirvana with the melody and vibe of The Beatles on their debut, Highly Evolved, The Vines have set their sights high. Known to be shambolic live and a bit of a tough interview, the Vines nevertheless delivered with utmost quality on their debut and that quality extends to the follow-up, Winning Days. The searing guitar tracks are just as fiery (first single ìRide,î ìAnimal Machine,î ìEvil Townî) and on the sophomore release, the introspective moments and psychedelic exploration are taken even further. ìAutumn Shade IIî is a reprisal of part one from the debut, of course, furthering the acoustic, melancholic vibe, while the title track continues the folk-rock influence some tracks on Winning Days now take. ìRainfallî and ìAmnesiaî fall into this jangly category as well, perhaps further proving that while still full of bombast and rage, Nicholls and his Vines mates are coming to terms with the fact that they have the ability to pen a mighty fine tune without having to turn the amps up to 11.

The Vines
Capitol

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2. Vision Valley
3. The Vines Have A New Album, No Seriously… They Do
4. Panda Bear Track Featured In Award Winning Short Film
5. Highly Evolved