The Vines
In Miracle Land

The Vines are attempting to restart by putting an end to their tumultuous history with this new "In Miracle Land".

The sixth studio album arrives a good four years after the previous double "Wicked Nature", a project with a somewhat confused nature (like its author Craig Nicholls, always a mix of genius and recklessness) and, despite the impromptu reunion in the original lineup to open two live shows for Jet in Sydney in 2016, it was recorded with the same lineup as the previous studio work.

The Vines are part of those bands that seemed destined to take over the world but for various reasons (chief among them the instability of Nicholls, of course) have remained in limbo, supported by a fanbase that is not large but devoted, despite the fact that the ultimate breakthrough never came (and most likely never will). The pleasant surprise, however, is that this "In Miracle Land", when all is said and done, is the best album by the Australian trio at least since "Vision Valley" until now.

Nicholls' songwriting seems more focused, even though the sound coordinates are always the same ones that have brought luck to the Australian combo, namely a curiously stable mixture of sixties psychedelia and the abrasive quality typical of '90s grunge, all seasoned with old-school britpop fascinations (the single/title track that preceded the work even two years ago already confirmed this). Sure, the days of heavy rotation on MTV of songs like "Get Free" and "Ride" are distant, just as the label of next big thing no longer suits Nicholls and co., but many tracks on this new work are absolutely convincing and inspired. Above all, the wonderful "Sky Gazer", which starts with a brit guitar riff à la Charlatans and then gets lost in a couple of apt and engaging tempo changes, but also the Nirvana-esque, sharp guitars of the tremulous "Leave Me Alone", "Slide Away", and "I Wanna Go Down" have their reasons for being.

There are also tracks that represent a welcome return to the origins of the first two albums, such as the opener "Hate The Sound" and the very short "Waitin'", and Nicholls proves he hasn't lost his psychedelic touch in delicate numbers like "Willow", the Radiohead-esque "Emerald Ivy" and the delightful closer "Gone Wonder".

A new starting point for The Vines, hoping that the much-desired stability has finally arrived.

Best track: "Sky Gazer"