| Vision Valley Capitol Music ••• Sound •••½ |
The Vines proved they were more than just your average postgrunge garage rockers on Winning Days. Artful and odd, that sophomore album revealed the songwriting prowess of raspy singer Craig Nicholls. Great, but we want some gritty, snarling music, too - and the Vines deliver on Vision Valley. "F*K Yeh" nails us with pogo-inducing fury, and you can virtually smell the band's amps in "Gross Out." Alas, you also get a wimpy attempt at country ("Take Me Back"), some schmaltzy orchestration ("Going Gone"), and bland Oasis-isms (the title track). Still, these Aussies keep the hard stuff rollin' with "Dope Train" and "Anysound," where Nicholls announces, "I am a Vine / All twisted and frayed." Way to be.
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