The Vines - 'Melodia' Review

The Vines were supposed to become the biggest band in the world when they released their 2002 debut, Highly Evolved, but all that hype never quite convinced the public. Since then, they’ve been largely forgotten – just one more band that never lived up to its promise. That early hype was indeed overblown, but while the world moved on to the next big thing, the Vines quietly turned into a solid rock band. As they prove on their new Melodia, songwriter Craig Nicholls has developed into an ace sonic craftsman, capable of woozy ballads and melodic garage-rock.

The Vines didn’t just have to contend with a critical backlash after they came onto the scene in 2002. Two years later, frontman Craig Nicholls was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, which makes even the simplest social interactions extremely difficult. Lineup changes contributed to further hardships, making it practically a miracle that the band didn’t just close up shop. With all that baggage, you might expect Melodia to be a triumph-against-the-odds comeback album, but Nicholls isn’t interested in that sort of feel-good story. In reality, Melodia isn’t all that different from their first record – it’s simply a better-executed version of what that album tried to achieve. The most noticeable change (as was the case with the Vines’ last album, 2006’s Vision Valley) is that Nicholls’ non-rockers are the standouts, whereas in the band’s early days he cut his teeth on revved-up fast songs that liberally borrowed from Nirvana’s bag of tricks. Melodia has its aggressive tracks, but the slow, sad numbers are the ones you’ll remember.

Some of Melodia’s best moments come from vaguely psychedelic love songs that recall mid-period Beatles and latter-day Oasis. Like those two iconic British bands, the Vines have a knack for gorgeous, aching melodies that are so laidback and languid that they make the listener feel stoned. “True as the Night” is a prime example, building from an acoustic guitar to a melancholy string section as Nicholls’ vocals split the difference between John Lennon’s snarl and Liam Gallagher’s nasally whine. At six minutes, “True as the Night” is easily Melodia’s longest song – nothing else even hits the three-minute mark – but as the album’s centerpiece, it’s an astounding summation of the sort of trippy ballad Nicholls can do quite well.

The majority of the tracks on Melodia are under 128 seconds long. Since the Vines first captured people’s imagination with their breakthrough single “Highly Evolved,” which was only 90 seconds long, Nicholls has focused on punk-ish scorchers that boast a huge, thick, catchy riff that carries the song all the way to its conclusion. But even these songs have morphed some on Melodia. On the stomping “Manger,” the Vines’ rhythm section (bassist Brad Heald and drummer Hamish Rosser) create a Brontosaurus-size rumble reminiscent of classic Led Zeppelin. Songs like this and “Get Out” emphasize propulsion first and foremost, but the Vines have managed to make these ripsnorters a little more sophisticated so that it’s not just all about the power chords.

Melodia is a welcome reward for those who have stuck by the Vines over these years of turmoil. Craig Nicholls may not be a particularly deep lyricist, but he has come up with a ton of colorful hooks on this record. Melodia catches the band in a wistful mood, but the listener shouldn’t mistake that tone for a shrug of resignation. If anything, the Vines sound fresher and more focused than ever.

Best 'Melodia' Tracks:

“True as the Night” (Purchase/Download)
“Orange Amber” (Purchase/Download)
“She Is Gone” (Purchase/Download)
“Manger” (Purchase/Download)
“A Girl I Knew” (Purchase/Download)

Release date – March 24, 2009
Ivy League Records