The Vines
Vision Valley

THE REVIEW

After 'Highly Evolved', the masterpiece of coolness, elegance, sweetness, and nostalgia from their debut in August 2002, and a 2nd album, at first listen, reasonably, less electrifying than their debut (but which revealed a certain confirmation of their talent), the Vines return with an album (Vision Valley) but forgo the tour because it is not ideal for the mental order of the leader Craig Nichols, who has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome: a mild form of autism, more a 'difference' than a disease, which indeed characterizes hypersensitive people but with genius traits.

The album does not surprise as much as its predecessors. It has different faces, all sharing the strong personality of the Vines. The components of the work are: the style of Nirvana and the Beatles, garage rock, and gentle psychedelia. The album opens with a sort of intro made of limping guitar riffs with four chords in a '70s style supported by Nichols' energetic and excited voice (Anysound) Nothin's comin' and Don't listen to the radio open with an irresistible pulsating bass.
The delightful Nothin's comin', which starts straightforward and seems like it came out of a garage version of Nirvana's 'In Utero' and less elaborate, while Don't listen to the radio is less direct, more pop, progressing in the refrain with rough garage riffs (unpleasant). But even more delightful, already from the title, is Candy Daze, which shoots off in the manner of Beatles' intros, continuing to inspire a gentle rubbersoulesque psychedelia that compromises with Nirvana (obviously deprived of the hard rock elaborateness).

In the title track they propose a very polished and catchy ballad (as never before one of their songs) with strings and a rhythm in the Oasis style but that still shows the strong personality of the band, particularly Craig's voice: descending, thrillingly warm, bringing to mind the feeling of ecstatic satisfaction of someone who has fallen in love with the right person. Very short, direct, and incendiary (and quite punk), Gross Out always with rough riffs, and a raucous voice, not particularly brilliant. Take me back is essential, direct, simple, to the point that it seems to have been heard before (maybe in a retro movie, like The Sound of Music), a ballad that evokes decidedly country and gentle psychedelic atmospheres.
Going gone, the least direct track, very refined, could appear in the previous album. Fuck yeh is a playful and ironic display of all their badassery. Dope train (super-dragging), daughter of the Stooges, avalanche rhythm, intriguing atmosphere, with a resentful mood in the chorus. Atmos, a very short incendiary piece, not brilliant, but climaxes with a guitar solo before swooping down into poppy little choruses like a solemn ritual. And finally, Spaceship, the most artificial piece (vaguely reminiscent of Pink Floyd) and relaxed (the longest: 6 min.) starts very quietly, progresses with a rhythmic chorus and then leisurely, and after a false ending, resumes with excellent lysergic digressions (already hinted at in all of the, albeit very short, songs on the record).

PRODUCED BY: Wayne Connolly (Died Pretty, The Fauves)
THE HIGHLIGHTS: Nothin's comin' (5/5), Candy Daze (5/5), Vision valley (5/5), Dope train (5/5), Going gone (4 ½ /5), Take me back (4-/5)
THE FLOPS: Don't listen to the radio, Gross Out
THE OTHERS: Anysound, Fuck yeh, Futuretarded, Atmos, Spaceship