The Vines - Winning Days

Highly Evolved has probably received ten complete spins in my stereo since inception. I admired the raw energy on The Vines debut, but eventually it became too laborious for me to dig through my catalogs of discs just to hear “Ain’t No Room.” For some bizarre reason, I’m very attracted to that song. But like a single parent with more illegitimate children than years of education, “Ain’t No Room” has some serious baggage (i.e. the rest of the album). I think about her from time to time, but any further interaction will be more trouble than what it’s worth. Now, Winning Days would have received at least 2 points if The Vines pulled a Strokes move by recycling their debut. No credibility lost. No respect gained. And they come close with their title track. “Winning Days” has a country-folk flavor akin to a Beck Hanson outtake, but it’s not quite polished or creative enough to make a revered Beck album. Ok, no more Mr. nice guy… On Winning Days, The Vines abandon the raw energy of Highly Evolved for…NO, DONT SAY IT TRAVIS…catchy pop songs. You get that impression on their first radio single “Ride,” but the garage band influence lingers. The worst song I’ve heard in awhile might just be “TV PRO” because it sandwiches a chorus distorted “ahh ahh ahh” between verses of psychedelic mush. The “Oohs” and “Ahhs” gibberish continues in “Amnesia,” leading me to believe that The Vines have, in fact, forgotten what popularized them in the first place. “Rainfall” comes from the same molding iron as “Winning Days,” and “Sunchild” is a blatant Rufus Wainwright rip-off. If you make it to the last track, “Fuck The World,” you’re going to wishing that sentiment on someone else… I usually refrain from selling used albums just in case a random craving strikes, but I might be able get some good trade value for this one…at least for another week until word spreads. [www.thevines.com]