The Vines' 'Evolved' entangled in hype

The Vines
Highly Evolved
EMI International In the context of recent punk-influenced garage rock, next to their admittedly tough competition, The Vines make more twists but don't climb as high. Judged on its own merits, The Vines' Highly Evolved is a pretty solid album with a distinct and diverse sound. Their sound might be part of the reason that the British press has deluged The Vines with buckets of hype and rock magazines have predicted the band will become the biggest rock sensation since Nirvana. If The Vines manage to transcend their current garage rock fan base and captivate a mass audience, rock fans and critics will wonder: why not the White Stripes or The Strokes, who could respectively and generally be termed the Rolling Stones and Beatles of their current genre? Both the Stripes and Strokes have received their share of hype, which is synonymous with skepticism in a time in which critics are hoping garage rock will rise up in Nirvana fashion to overthrow mainstream music. But, the Stripes' albums, especially White Blood Cells, and The Strokes' debut Is This It? earned their acclaim. Frankly, even judged on its own, Highly Evolved doesn't deserve the massive amount of hype it has been given, though the album kicks off with the wonderfully raw, energetic title track. From there, the album's mood shifts abruptly. The abrasive, punk "Get Free," complete with an almost entirely one-note chorus delivered by Craig Nicholls' sandpaper scream, is followed by the swooping "ah"s of the relaxed "Country Yard." "In The Jungle" sheds some light on the comparisons the press has made to The Beatles and Nirvana. The song's vocal line and delivery tip their hat to Kurt Cobain while the riff underneath could be compared to riffs like that of "Paperback Writer." Perhaps The Vines' greatest asset is their ability to both rock hard and deliver light, soaring passages (some psychedelic) like the gentle guitar and piano section in "Mary Jane." According to NME, not even frontman Craig Nicholls is sure whether it's about a girl or a plant, but it doesn't matter. The Vines can execute a hard-edged garage sound and pull off a warm, soft, ballad. Time will tell if this is enough to catapult them over the wall dividing garage rock and mainstream.