Highly Evolved

138. not bad

rouck

Ok

It took me a while to get around listening to this and honestly it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t also really that wholesome.

a nice listen, a bit too generic to me, but its like a mix of alternative bands i like with some tunes more aggressive like get free, outtathaway, in the jungle and 1969 but tuned down so i can play this to my normie friends. Good to have around!

This is fine. I like it. The Vines weren’t even the best version of what The Vines were when this album came out though and I have no idea what it’s doing on here. like it’s not bad, this is my kind of band, but even I’m like it’s ok if someone dies without hearing this

Gives me Arctic Monkey Vibes. Overall a very good album. Highly Evolved and Get Free made my playlist.

Yeah, that wasn't bad. A whole lot better than what that genre was producing in the US at that time. Sunshinin was a nice catchy track.

It's fine. Weird Al used one of these songs in a polka and that was the only time the music interested me.

I know “get free” was a big single. But man, this isn’t that great. It’s ok. It’s not bad. But the hype over the years I think is too much.

Wow would you look at that? Yet another Garage Punk album from the 2000s on the 1001 Albums To Hear Before You Die list!! Who would have seen that coming?? I get that Garage Rock was a big deal during the early 2000s but like come on man with all the other projects that were snubbed, did this really need to make the cut? It is a very average and safe pick if you ask me with the only notable part of this being the band being from Australia. I was down with the music for the first couple of tracks but the longer this went on the messier it got and the less I cared. A lot of these Garage Rock acts are so repetitive and same-y that it is hard to not blend them all together if you aren't being careful. I want to give this band as much credit as I can because I think they made a fun project, but I just can't seem to care about this as an album. Unfortunately Highly Evolved is anything but that and feels stuck in a cycle of conformity that plagued a lot of the Rock scene during the 2000s.

SAmme bølge som The STrokes, The white stripes osv med garage rock revival. De her hiver bare mere fat i post-grunge delen hvor man godt kan høre det lyder lidt som en dårligere version af Nirvana. Blander rigtig mange forskellgie genrer og hædrer beatles, nirvana og oasis/britpop eraen alle steder. Det blev meget populært også i australien osv hvor de er fra. Jeg synes ikke selv det var noget synderligt specielt at lytte til, tror selv jeg til hver en tid havde lyttet til meget andet, måske? Måske mere af dem som inspirerede dem end det de kombinerede det til at være. Nok en af de første hvor jeg har læst om den og så tænkt hvorfor det var med, men måske er det netop fordi den gør noget lidt andet end hvad der ellers blev udgivet i dens samtid. Men det er jo heller ikke dårligt.

This is very cool! I remember the name and I think I had them pegged as another garage-rock/post-punk revival bad just like all the other “the” bands of the early oughts. Listening to this I guess they’re more like 90s alternative revival, but after heavy notes of Nirvana it starts going other places incorporating psychedelic rock and other sounds. A great find four stars.

so 2000s core i love it

Вроде бы все есть, но чего-то не хватает Есть драйв, вокал не так надоедает Есть хит и есть треки которые понравились, но я вряд ли переслушаю

Very much in that early 2000s alternative rock mold. 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘌𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥 has energy and a handful of genuinely catchy moments, but it rarely pushes beyond its influences. The loud-quiet dynamics and fuzzed-out hooks feel familiar rather than exciting, and the album as a whole doesn’t leave much of a distinct impression. The fact that an Australian band like The Vines was being framed by the British press as the “second coming of Nirvana” makes the whole thing feel even more overblown — there are similarities on the surface, but not the same urgency or weight behind it. Enjoyable in parts, but ultimately pretty forgettable.

Outathaway is my favorite song so far. Some of the songs sound too much like other songs I know—to the extent that if I expected some effort I could figure out which song exactly they were riffing off of. Others reminded me of grunge tunes but with a peculiar 60s sensibility—not sure exactly how to explain that one. The album as a whole didn’t stand out as unique enough to merit inclusion in s as list like this one. 2 stars

It’s Bob Marley! Always 5 stars!

The vines es una debilidad personal, me enloquecen como banda y en este álbum hay muchas canciones que me gustan.

Not my genre

Holy crap this went surprisingly hard. Reading their Spotify description it says they were heavily inspired by Nirvana and you can definitely hear the similarities. Overall, I had fun with this!

The “whatever happened?” Such a great album. I think there was a second album and I know there were personal issues, but a shame.

So many influences, so poorly imitated.

australian rock,

I liked it. Maybe it shouldn't be here, but it was enjoyable for me.

I only remembered this band for the single Get Free - they never really stood out for me amongst all the other "The" bands of the time. The rest of the album was ok but nothing special, kinda like a grungy Supergrass. The singers vocals started to annoy me after 30 mins or so.

i bought this one when it came out, listened to a fair but and it's gathering dust in the CD shelves now music press went pretty overboard too, with some hyping them as the "next Nirvana"; inclusion in the book was very much a 'prisoner of the moment' exuberance imo still some good tracks therein and i'm glad this project forced me to revisit 3.5/5

Not a fan

My second album in a row to feature a song titled "1969." So that's cool. Also - this band is trying so hard to be Nirvana, but they just don't got it. We have Nirvana at home, ya know. Also - I've never heard a 2 minute song be too long, but this record manages to pull it off. There are some good guitar tones now and again, but what good is a guitar tone if you don't play anything interesting with it? I realize I will sound incredibly pompous saying this but that isn't how I mean it: I could get a group of dudes together, set up a garage with instruments and mics, and we could whip out a record of comparable interest over a weekend. That is not a boast. That is a roast. TWO STARS

just average rock, nothing stood out too much. reminded me of queens of the stone age

On the verge of being really good, but just plays it too safe and sounds too polished. Almost designed in a lab to be early 2000s commercial rock.

So close to being great - kind of disappointing. The singles were so exciting when they came out. They were raw and punky and grungey and everyone was saying new Nirvana (in a way that no band can live up to). I love that sound from this band, but then the album feels a bit of a mish mash of heavier grungey stuff, tame indie rock, pale imitation Beatles.. Doesn't flow for me and nothing lives up to the quality of those big singles.

Not my vibr

On hand, not bad, on the other, really did not need to be here.

En mi opinión, si querías hacer un disco de rock alternativo con múltiples influencias del garage rock, grunge, post-punk y de psicodelia, no lo podías haber hecho mejor. Un álbum variado, muy disfrutable, que gana con las escuchas y suena bien en su revival sin dejar de ser moderno. "Highly Evolved", "Ain't No Room" y "In The Jungle" son mis favoritas, por encima de otros singles. Una banda a reivindicar.

This is ok, not essential. Two stars

Really loved this when it came out, somewhere between The Strokes and Nirvana, musically. Unfortunately all Albums after this one were mediocre to bad. Fav: Get free

In my favorite genre but have never listened to before. Went straight through and will definitely repeat.

Not bad, kinda chill.

I was not excited for a basically forgotten album by one of the countless garage rock revival bands from the early 2000s whose name started with “The.” I felt like I was gonna know how this sounded immediately, and while it wasn’t going to be awful, I’d basically forget it after listening. Imagine my surprise when this turned out to be something special! It’s not NOT a garage rock revival thing, but it’s a bit more than that too. The songs have a Lennon/McCartney thing going on - a little more complex in the melodies and harmonies, and then a tinge of grungy breakdowns, reminding me of classic Nirvana at times. And then mix in the fundamental Australia-ness of it all. It is loud, polished, catchy, and most importantly, fun! I really enjoyed this!

Not bad at all!

Good album. Didn't Wow me.

Masterpiece. Timeless. Second best selling debut album of all time.

Good back in the day

I never purposely listened to The Vines at the time this record came out. It's possible I heard them at a party or out at a bar but it was all mixed-in together in a garage rock soup with The Hives and The Strokes at the top of people's minds — and, I didn't have any of those records either. I'd bought in on The Go/The White Stripes and The Dirtbombs though as I wasn't immune during the flood of garage rock bands. So, it's 24 years later and not being a reader of Rolling Stone, ever, I have missed all the hype for this particular record and band. The shift between Highly Evolved and the second song Autumn Shade is abrupt and somehow telling. The band goes uptempo, shows downtempo and then settles into mid-tempo for Outtatheway and whatever comes next I don't know yet but they seem to be searching for themselves as much as showing the listener who they are. I can't hear the artistic statement they're trying to make with this record. It sounds to me like a grab-bag of garage-isms mixed with bits of britpop and a little grunge in an attempt at broad appeal or in honor of music they were inspired by. Overall, I find it to be fairly crass in its commercialism and I find that more offensive from bands that trade in the tropes of rebellion. In other words, what I forgive or expect of Destiny's Child I tend to log as real strikes against many rock bands. It'll probably cost a star. The best tracks tend to be the shorter ones and I've started to wonder if that's because they have trouble connecting multiple musical ideas together within a single song — and maybe that's great for a certain kind of listening experience. So, I don't deny the talent of the band but these Aussies were definitely riding a wave.

People seem to get confused about why albums like this are included in "1001 albums you must hear" because it's kinda mid. But I think it deserves to be included because, as a millennial, I can tell you these guys and bands like them were ubiquitous. This album is a great snapshot of the era, warts and all.

Este álbum ya lo había escuchado cuando ya había expresado Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not de Arctic Monkeys pero había algo que no me hizo conectar con la banda. Temas como Get Free, Mary Jane, Factory y Outtathaway son las que más me gustaron tienen ese sonido garange que me gusta. Un álbum que escucharía mientras conduzco para ir a trabajar

This is a fun, indie pop-tinted aussie garage rock but it is just too generic to stand out on its own.

Kinda whatever. Just not for me

Like, it sounds good and all, but isn't 2002 a bit late to be doing this type of alt-rock? Not really anything special, but I kinda do love this type of sound so I don't completely hate it really.

Excellent album! So much is said about the big hitters of the grunge scene; Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden. This rightfully belongs in those conversations - it's not a carbon copy of those massive genre-defining albums, but sits neatly atop them adding its own dramatic flare. Big fan.

Totally does not belong on a list like this. Maybe it’d be fine on the 10,001 albums to listen to before you die.

It insists upon itself

it was fine! a fun listen in the background but if I focused idgaf

i forgot this album was playing while i was listening to it

This was pretty cool, nothing that will stick with me the me though.

I liked the Vines for one month in high school and this is the first time I've thought about them since. Aggressively fine.

I like The Vines well enough, I just usually forget about them to the point that I thought I was supposed to be listening to The Hives today and got mad when I couldn't find the album. I'm left with this conundrum where I like this but only because it sounds like other things I like more. I think 2 is correct rating but I'm going 3 because I have some room for it in my ratings curve rn.

Of the albums on this list that I’ve put on during a run, this is the best yet. After what, like 5 months of this daily album journey I can tell that I’m appreciating music more. Case in point: this album. I can trace prior records to this pretty clearly, from Kurt’s gritty yells on Nevermind to the warbly tones of the early psych rock artists we’ve gotten.

The Vines – Highly Evolved (2002) On Day 94, I found Highly Evolved to be not bad, but the glaze and hype surrounding it at the time were definitely crazy. While the British press was calling it the "second coming of Nirvana," the reality is a solid but not groundbreaking rock record. "1969" was my favorite track it has a great, heavy energy that stands out. The production and vocals provide some interesting moments, but it doesn't quite reach the levels the critics promised. It’s a decent session-setter that earns a respectable 3/5, even if it doesn't live up to the massive reputation.

Some cool sounds, but doesn’t ultimately really “gel” together.

C'était franchement sympa, c'était un peu grunge dans l'approche, mais en un peu plus moderne. C'était pas incroyable ni particulièrement fou pour l'époque, mais ça se laisse écouter très agréablement.

Super solid 2000s rock

This is the definition of a 3 star album. It’s got some good stuff, but plays it safe. And like others have said, pretty hard to imagine how a music critic listened to this and said “Wow, this is just like Nirvana!”

I thought I was not going to like this one but I got pleasantly surprised. It is not only very well produced but there are no obvious misses. 7/10 [KEEP]

I had some expectations.... But this was bad. They had some obvious inspirations and they just did worse in every category. 1.5 is warranted so I guess they get 2.

Wasn't blown away or anything but I quite liked it!

Rather standard 2000's rock and pop but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I remember this coming out and briefly enjoying the singles they released. It's nothing special - comparisons to that grunge bands from the early 90s are pretty lazy and baseless. Another one of those 'do you actually need to hear this before you die?' records - but that is arguably half this list.

Veers so wildly between hard grunge ripoffs and terrible soft rock balladry that listening risks genre whiplash. Sadly, even when the music is worthwhile, it's still very derivative. I'm not even 100 albums in yet and, even as someone who enjoys mediocre white-boy alternative rock, I'm getting the sense there's far too much mediocre white-boy alternative rock for a "must listen" list.

You can hear a lot of influences in here. Kept me interested

This is one of my favourite albums! A brilliant rock album from a troubled band. Some amazing songs on here!

I was around & into the aughts garage rock revival. I do recall these cats by name and recognize a couple tunes. They did not break into my rotation back then & listening now it does not seem like I missed out. We'll put it in the high 2's and round up to 3

Kinda fun. I'm not sure about the Nirvana comparisons other than that they have a screamy vocalist (although used largely as a backing track). Nothing particularly deep or involving here. Reminds me a lot of the Silverchair/Candlebox/Days of the New prettyboy grunge that followed Nirvana.

Ну типа... broski пытались сделать около гаражный около панковский саунд, но в итоге получился странный сплав гранжа и бритпопа. Что смешно, те же самые Оазис из бритпоп стана звучат временами куда сырее, правдивее и жёстче чем этот релиз, который ощущается слишком вылизанным, что-ли. Как будто бы группа сильно хотела стать воннаби Нирваной. но чёт не вышло Наверное, если бы я послушал это в свои 13, с более непритязательным вкусом, то мне бы зашло, но не сейчас. Это не плохая пластинка, вовсе нет, но нахождение её в этом списке - спорно.

The Vines - Highly Evolved (2002) Вывод: энергия гаражного рока сочетающаяся с мелодичной чувствительностью бритпопа Это одна из тех записей начала 2000-х, которые существуют на границе двух эпох: пост-гранжа 90-х и гаражного рока нулевых. Первое, что бросается в глаза это резкая и нервная энергетика. Альбом построен на коротких, очень прямых композициях. Многие песни едва достигают двух минут, что непривычно для меня. Очень слышно влияние Nirvana и британской музыки: грубые гитары, контраст тихих куплетов и шумных припевов, слегка надломленный вокал.  Альбом колеблется между агрессией, мелодичностью и эмоциональной уязвимостью. Это делает альбом нестабильным: от ярости к меланхолии буквально за несколько минут. Однако у альбома есть и слабые стороны. Из-за краткости песен многие идеи не успевают развиться. Иногда трек заканчивается в тот момент, когда он только начинает становиться интересным. Кроме того, несколько композиций звучат слишком похожими друг на друга это одинаковая гитарная структура.

Rock punk. Good

discazo. le tengo cariño

not really my stuff, too happy? dont really like the vocals, music is forgetable. Really heavy Nirvana influence, but in the wrong way for my taste

How do I write anything about such an uninteresting album? It was shouty at times, boring the rest of the time.

It’s The Vines with some of the rougher edges sanded down. And honestly it’s better for it. Still kind of mid-range though

#878. Inoffensive mid-tier radio rock. 3/5: acceptable

Ah fuck dit is een schreeuw band of niet? Snap meteen de Nirvana vergelijking en ik ben daar geen groot fan van. Nirvana voelt voor mij grotendeels als best wel vet, totdat ze beginnen te schreeuwen en dat hoor je meteen bij Outthathaway. Instrumentaal heel vet, scheurende gitaren dikke prima, maar dan opeens word besloten dat je dit het beste kan schreeuwen en dan word het er gewoon niet echt veel beter op... Dit is wel echt Ali-expres Nirvana. Ik ben er niet heel erg weg van, sommige nummers pakken me wel iets meer. Grappig genoeg is Get Free een absolute schreeuwplaat maar gecombineerd met de dikke melodie trek ik dat nummer dan weer prima. Vaag... Verder? Natuuuuuuurlijk staat er een trage, ska'achtige ballad over Marihuana op. Meest overrated drug aller tijden, maar ze zijn niet klaar voor dat gesprek. En natuuurlijk is het ook nog eens een matig nummer. Album is wel zo voorbij, dat is wel echt positief want ik heb totaal niet het idee dat ik 3 kwartier hiernaar heb geluisterd. Ben helaas niet erg positief, dus daar is het eindoordeel dan ook naar: Veel geschreeuw, lijkt nogal weinig inhoud. 2 sterren. FAVO: Get Free

Damn, there are some great tunes here (Highly Evolved, Autumn Shade, Outtathaway, Sunshinin, Get Free, Country Yard, 1969) The others are forgettable (at best) if not just down-right stinkers and should not have been immortalized on vinyl (or whatever mode even MP3). But ending on 1969 ( a good year by the way) saves this album from middling/piddling. 4 saved at the bell stars.

Decent enough garagey/grungey rock n roll that should be filled under whatever and left there. Nothing really hits ('In the Jungle' comes close) but nothing makes me want to take the album and smash it against the wall. I guess that's good or at least not bad. Whatever. I can't imagine ever wanting to hear The Vines again but if someone is playing them at a place, I happen to be at I imagine I will tap my foot a few times and smile as I pretend that I'm happy to see you. Whatever.

Highly Evolved, Autumn Shade, Outtathaway, Homesick, Factory

A perfectly listenable alt rock album by a band I’ve never heard of. Didn’t stay with me, so we’ll chalk this down as moderately good

Didn’t know of The Vines so didn’t know what to expect. It started off strong then many sub-par songs then another good one then back to the not-so-good ones. It averaged out to a 3.

It's good rock, but it's nothing terribly special.

This album was pretty good. The Vines were big when I graduated from high school and it's disappointing they aren't bigger than they were predicted to be.

The Vines kind of get overlooked now when viewing this era of the garage rock revival. Heck, even I seemed to overlook them myself. I guess I really only knew of "Get Free" and a few other singles heading into today. I wasn't immediately wowed after listening, though. Reading about how this group was being hyped up as the "next Nirvana" by the UK press was a little astounding. That kind of thing sets you up for disappointment I'd say. Moving on...

A cookie cutter grunge/punk with very few highlights. Basically, the album relies heavily on that one catchy song to carry the rest of the missed shots. The performance and mixing are good, but the songwriting is not up to par for this list or the genre, there are better, more original stuff in the same vein out there.

I've heard the name before and after hearing Get Free, know I've heard that song out there somewhere. I didn't find this to be anything special, but didn't mind the overall sound. It seemed to be missing that one piece to go from OK to good. Again, wasn't bad listens, just a middle of the road listen. The unusual thing for this listener was the 3 songs that stood out was the very first, Highly Evolved, the very last, 1969 and Get Free, right in middle. Side note, saw 1969 and was hoping it would be a Stooges cover. It wasn't. 3

3 I know these guys are Australian, but this may as well be another one of those generic early 2000s British alternative rock albums that this list seems to adore so much. Like, I could almost copy/paste my Zutons review from five albums ago and it would be just as applicable. TL;DR generally enjoyable overall, but why is it here exactly? It’s far from the best or most original that the garage rock revival scene had to offer, which is especially ironic given the title “Highly Evolved”. Compared to The Zutons, I like that this has a bit more edge to it, but the songwriting still just isn’t overly interesting. The only real standout on the album is the group’s biggest hit, Get Free, which is a song I would definitely say that I enjoy but not to any sort of significant degree. It honestly feels like a song that could have come from any given artist of the era, and it’s just two minutes of a 43-minute album. Beyond that, I can’t say that I had any sort of strong feelings on anything here. To quote my Zutons review verbatim: “You can tell they were trying to go for some variety in the songwriting, but despite their best efforts, it never resulted in anything that felt memorable, noteworthy, or, again, entirely like their own.” Case in point, is the opening of In the Jungle not just Day Tripper by The Beatles? I also wish that they didn’t backload their two longest tracks, as it kind of dragged the ending out, and not in a good way. 1969 was decent at least (though sadly not a Stooges cover), but I really could have done without six minutes of Mary Jane, a song that felt like it had like two total lyrics that were repeated ad nauseam. Not to mention, it was way too on the nose - at least be a little more subtle with your appreciation of Spider-Man’s girlfriend, guys. Once again, this is an album that I liked more than I disliked, but I wouldn’t say I found it very memorable or that I’m likely to revisit. Though, I would love to have whatever the UK music press was smoking when they called these guys the next Nirvana.

I already know Get Free, the sixth song on this album, and I like that song enough. I'm a bit surprised to see The Vines on this list, I never thought they really made a splash compared to other Australian artists who are not on the list, like Jet, Grinspoon or Regurgitator. • Highly Evolved is a fine opening song, it has a lot of energy • Autumn Shade is nice as a bit of a slower track • The vocals in Homesick sound reminiscent of The Beatles. This is a nice song, probably my favourite so far • The riff to Get Free really hits you as soon as it starts. I feel like I might've heard this song a bit too much in my life for it to really be one that I love, but it does feel like a step above everything else on the album thus far. Short, sweet and full of energy that some of the other songs really feel like they could use. • Factory also sounds like a Beatles song, but to a much greater degree than Homesick. When the distorted guitars kick in, it takes on a bit more of its own identity, but the verses sound like a completely different band • In The Jungle actually reminds me of Velvet Revolver a bit, it might be my favourite song • 1969 is a very good way to end the album. It's the longest song on the album and is very emblematic of its sound. This was a good enough album, but I don't think it particularly stands out. The Vines do have a more unique sound than I thought, being a blend of The Beatles and late 90's rock, so I will give them credit for that. I don't really see the comparison to Nirvana that's seemingly been drawn, I can think of any number of other bands that sound more like Nirvana than The Vines do. As I said at the start, I don't really think this album was deserving of a spot on this list, especially over other contemporary Australian albums (and artists) that were neglected, but it's not a bad album. Favourite song: In The Jungle

New name to me: Australian grungy alternative band, heavily influenced by Nirvana and with a hint of old school punk. Choppy and frenetic guitar riffs abound. Not bad.

00’s Alternative Rock ⭐️Outtathaway

This wasn't necessarily my scene back in the day, so I completely overlooked this album outside of any singles I would have heard. I'm pleasantly surprised actually. They're a much different band to what I realised, and it's a much better album than I would have thought. There's some good dirty riffs in here that I'm really digging and an upbeat energy. It's really approachable, but far from generic. 3.5 rounded up.

It's like the royalty-free version of grungy alt-rock music that you'd hear performing in a TV programme. What's with the vocalist's accent? The overall ear-feel is good, with crisp instruments and lots of dynamic range, but it's just a bit generic and bland.

Ukjent. Garage rock revival. Enkelte sterke spor her, og det generelle nivået er greit nok. Intensiteten er tidvis veldig fengslende. Totalt sett et midt-på-treet-album. Halvparten av fem er to og en halv, og denne gangen runder jeg ned. Dette handler nok primært om at jeg ikke opplever dette som verken særlig originalt eller interessant (og det ville vært skandaløst å gi dette samme score som Zeps første album). Hvis resten av albumet hadde hatt samme stil som introlåta Highly Involved og “balls-to-the-walls” Outtathaway, ville tallet vært høyere. Top 3: Highly Evolved, In The Jungle, Outtathaway

Pathetic Nirvana wannabe moments would give way to sensible musical decisions. Could do with a bit less Britpop in the songs.

I was not a vines lover when they came out. Too much hype and sounded like all else. After years without listeing to this Album, I stand corrected this is a great band and a great album. From 2 in my youth to 4 as an adult. Glad to hear this again with a better more contextual view

Completely forgettable.

hoe kan dit top 1000 zijn?

If the Beatles made an album with Nirvana. Ish.

Listenable but probably wouldn’t go back

Cool sound. nothing super fantastic but a definite 'listen again' record for me.

I'm fine with this album being on the list; good to see an Australian band represented, and they were a very hyped band in 2002. However, despite having a few great tracks it's ultimately an inconsistent debut album, and in hindsight it's a little embarrassing that the music press were talking them up like the second coming of Nirvana.

Absolutely incredible album. I was familiar with the radio singles from it but never heard the whole thing (a recurring thing with many of these albums, I’m realizing.) Very influenced by Nirvana but not in a cheap copy way, with elements of Brit Pop and The Beatles sprinkled in. Really good stuff

Treads no new ground and smears its smelly feces on the existing ground

Listened a couple of times and it all sounds a bit generic indie/rock/grunge lite. I did not listen to them first time around so no nostalgia hit and cannot really be arsed to give them the time of day today. Its not bad - but struggling to think will ever come back to it.

Highly Evolved A very nice blast from the past, the songs I liked at the time I still like, the Grunge-Britpop-Garage derivations of Highly Evolved, Outtathaway and Get Free, and the Verve-esque moody rock of 1969. Of the rest of it, while some is fairly pedestrian post grunge alt-rock, some of it is far more interesting and varied than I remember, even if not always totally successful. The psychedelic spaciness of Autumn Shade, the squelching synthy pulse of Sunhinin’, the harmony laden Country Yard, the very Supergrass-punk hybrid of Ain’t No Room. Despite some undoubted highlights and a nice line in eclectic influences, it does occasionally get weighed down by grunginess, and I am left with a slight feeling of bratty inessentialness for some reason. However it’s still a good nostalgic listen that I could easily return to if the mood strikes. 3. 🍇🍇🍇 Playlist submission: Highly Evolved

Rather ironic to call the album 'Highly Evolved' and then to mimic your heroes. The title track goes full-bore Kobain. It's a fair track, but one you'd expect to be mid-album acceptable filler rather than one of the showpieces. It's the sort of album you don't need to listen to more than once as there's very little nuance. When they break the formula it's more enjoyable. There's a bit of distinction with 'Country Yard' which has a nice lilt and harmonies, and not just the quiet/scream dynamics. The phased guitar is so very grunge (Soundgarden). There's also the issue that all the UK music press went ape for them at the time whereas this would've been better percolating as an underground hit. Can't blame them for that of course, but it's 'incredible' reputation preceded what is rather a forgettable album, full of bland indie-rock. They strive for Nirvana and often end up with Jet.

Good stuff! Full of intense raw energy

Great record, solid rock/grunge/punk or whatever it is. Aussies know their stuff, man!

Yeah, boy! I was one of those early fans of The Vines, having heard some early unofficial releases and covers. I had no idea they would explode like they would, I just thought they had a cool sound. I got Highly Evolved on Day 1, saw them live, all the things. But then I stopped caring. Their impact was immediate but didn't leave a lot of after taste. Put simply, there were better artists. All these years later, I haven't heard anything they made after this album. Admittedly this album is all over the place, with druggy ballads and Grunge explosions, and assorted nonsense. It definitely could have done with some shaving - some of the songs do nothing but add some curios to the bloat. But the handful of bangers are still bangers. It's a good album, fun, but doesn't need to be anywhere near this list.

Oh, bloody hell, it feels good when it stops.

The Hives are better.

Classic. Get Free is one of the best Australian songs in a long ass time.

They're not bad, but they do sound like a fake band from a movie at times. It's laughable that anyone compared these guys to Nirvana.

Not a bad song on there.

Missed this the first time around. Not bad

Great album. Have not listened to this before and thought it was great.

A couple of decent tunes. Too much unnecessary screaming for me. Mostly rubbish.

2 . unnecessary .

Classic power pop. Enjoyed it quite a bit!

3.5

Lowly retarded

I like it! I like the guitar tones and the vocals. I only ever heard Get Free but the rest of the album is just as strong

5/5

3.0 - Ok

A distinct sound of Nirvana meets John Lennon but without any of the charisma of either. As I'm going through this album, it seemed like the band had potential, but the songs here fell flat most of the time. 3/5

Some good songs, solid alt rock band!

Half of this album are fun, catchy and energetic garage punk songs and the other are super slow and tame tracks. I enjoyed the wild side of this record. The parts under this category are wild and explosive cuts. The vocals range from very smooth singing to some very wild screams that add a very striking factor, and the guitars have a great sounding distortion. Nevertheless, I don't think the songs are impactful or memorable enough to compensate for the weaker part of this album: the slow cuts. They aren't bad, but they add nothing and sound super generic and bland rock that was very popular at that time. What at least I can say about this project is that there are some good ideas, and the rotation between slow and energetic moments make the experience more dynamic and digestible. So in the end, it is a decent album with some very fun moments and some very forgettable ones.

Generic

All over the place. Its like they wanted to be two bands and couldn't decided and whip-sawed between the two which kind of killed the pacing of the album ad a whole. I like the tone, I like a handful of songs.

3.5 stars. Early 00's alt rock debut album. It's fine. Fairly angsty vocals but predictable structure and radio-friendly hooks. Short and sweet "Get Free" is the standout.

Angsty aughts. No thanks.

kate and i had the exact same inital impression hehe..... everything felt vvv referential this was a pleasant surprise for me....not everything worked but when it did, it DID rating 3 bc 5 stars is not an efficient system for me but know it's a high 3

right off the bat a bit of a zolas vibe/sound (at least to first few songs, i am still working thru), like their more punk rocky cousin i like the mix of sound for the album, each song feels pretty distinct so far, a lot of texture to the audio if that makes sense lmaoooo, some songs grabbed me more than others but all over p solid 3.5 ish

3.2

Overall pretty middle of the ground. Nothing ground breaking. One good song, reminded me of the Subways, who do it better.

Okay

The Vines aha. Und schon wieder Millennial (Dad)-Rock der zu Recht dem Vergessen anheim gefallen ist.

Not bad but not great and not essential. This is the problem with popular rock music from this era. It’s only just serviceable and aimed at a fairly conservative audience. There’s way more important rock albums that need to be included on this list than these kinds of albums. It wasn’t a terrible listen though. There are some wild parts but they sound a bit disingenuous and although they try some progressions with more than 3 chords they sound like stuff we’ve already heard before done by much better bands. No matter what they try it doesn’t seem to elevate the pieces any further than a mildly good but forgettable listen. p.s. I might be a bit harsh though because it turns out they saved the best song for last! Although it does still have a by-the-numbers feel to it, I’ll probably give this album one more listen.

A perfectly listenable rock album, and I do love rock music, so I cannot give it less than 3 stars - and yet, it's such a generic rock album I cannot give it more than 3 stars. I liked the songs where they tried to sound like Nirvana and disliked the more mellow, ballad-like songs of theirs. Get Free was the standout of the album for me, apparently it is the biggest hit from Highly Evolved, and I'm not surprised. Overall - really not bad, at times even good, but I won't be seeking for more.

'Just waitin' for the sun to carry me in'; 'But I like the sun when / Fallin' thru another plain'; 'The weather for me / Are the birds flyin' home.' 'Sun talk' like this - and general allusions to cheery and careless weather - achieves a sunny, buzzing atmosphere that evokes sixties pop-rock via a return to the unironic optimisms of Oasis. Labeled as garage rock, and therefore a sort of contemporary of The Strokes or Arctic Monkeys, they have some of that on tracks like 'Highly Evolved' and 'Get Free,' but for the most part, this is nineties-alt in 2002, hence the faulty comparisons to Nirvana. It's yet too whimsical for that likening: Kurt sings w/ a heart on his sleeves and brows; Nicholls w/ a happiness he doesn't always know what to do w/. Strange 1.

It’s not bad, but it’s nothing special. Especially for the time I feel like there’d be a dozen bands just like them in every major city. Easy to listen to.

Some really good songs on this one, specially the melodic ones like Autumn Shade, Homesick and Country Yard. My least favorite song was ironically the song I knew the best, Get Free, which I remembered being a big radio hit in 2002/3. Solid album though.

Vond dit vroeger fantastisch. Niet heel origineel

Good variety in their songs. Nothing immediately stands out, but a solid effort.

I fuck heavy with this. It's funny seeing the discourse around this album - they may not be "the future of rock" as NME described them, but these guys know their way around some tunes! Not everything that's "overrated" is necessarily bad or generic, guys.

This was super fun, crisp production and some real bangers. Obviously Get Free is the highlight but I also liked the title track and Outtathaway especially, but all of it was really good. I wanted to immediately go back and listen upon finishing, and I enjoyed the second listen just as much, so ya know what? 5 stars. A lot of people in the reviews seem to be mad that the band is not Nirvana. The only real similarity is that the singer has that grungey voice occasionally. Otherwise the vibe is completely different; I don’t get the comparison other than it being rock music that came out after Nirvana.

Wasn't expecting much out of an alt rock record, but by the third track I was fully into these guys' sound. Lovely guitar tones and basslines abound! They strike a perfect balance between slow, melodic tracks and more aggressive and grungey ones, which makes for a very fun listen overall. Great pull! Standouts: Homesick • Country Yard • Factory • Ain't No Room • 1969

I really wanted this to be a revelatory experience and understand the vision people had with this album, but it just ended up being a totally average rock album in my mind.

Definitely noted a hint of the 60's at times and I liked the grunge-y, garage-y, vibe of this album.

This definitely passed me by on original release. It sounds a lot like a noisier Blur with less-clever lyrics and too much screaming. The single, Get Free, was probably the worst thing here, but the album is consistently enjoyable in its more-tuneful moments. Sunshinin strikes a nice balance — rocking out without resorting to pointless noise. I’m struggling to find anything here to be too excited about — it all seems to have been done better by some of their contemporaries. The good moments just remind me of other bands I’d rather listen to. A light 3.

Australian punk slightly better than English punk

Fínir tónar en skilur ekki mikið eftir sig.

Liked it more than I thought I would. A fun album to listen to.

Bra rock men ikke helt min type musikk

Fine, nothing special

2002 was a wild time, the garage band rock revival was in full swing and this is a very specific, high octane moment. It’s a fascinating, if inconsistent, blend of sounds... You can clearly hear the heavy Nirvana grunge influence in the screaming vocals and distorted riffs, but it’s often balanced out by a melodic, psychedelic sensibility that feels more like The Beatles or even Oasis. While some tracks like "Get Free" and "Outtathaway" are absolute garage rock bangers that justify the original hype, other parts of the album feel a bit like filler. Reflecting on this era always brings me back to the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, where the they basically staged a "battle of the bands" between The Vines and The Hives. It was the peak of the "The" band craze, and seeing Craig Nicholls lose his mind on stage right after The Hives' polished performance really highlighted what this album is all about: a chaotic, sometimes messy, but undeniably energetic snapshot of Australian rock. It’s a fun, loud time capsule that captures the frantic energy of the early 2000s perfectly.

I only knew Get Free. This shit slaps. Like Australian Beatles turned up to 11.

sometimes i get an album on here that isn't very good but i sort of think, ok it was probably kind of important when it came out in 1972 or whatever, it was before my time but for people who were there it was an important part of the culture so i guess i understand why it's on this list. unfortunately i was there when The Vines released this album so i can confidently say that The Vines were literally never important and should not be on this list. this is scraaaaaping a 3 tbh because it's not terrible, it's just Fine.

Some good songs and not bad at all but not the most interesting

It was OK but nothing special.

A bit like the strokes but without any good songs

Some interesting moments but many forgettable ones

It was ok. A fine record of the time. I remembered hearing about the band at the time and instantly remembered Get Free. Ain’t No Room also rang a bell. Not really sure why this is on the list tbh.

Solid album, will have more thoughts on more listens. Right now a solid 3/5

great album

One of the most creative and beautifully executed albums I've heard in a while. Such an impressive range stylistically- manages to simultaneously embody the likes of Elliott Smith, Nirvana, even the Beatles at times. All interspersed and blended together seamlessly. Genuinely might be a new favorite. Favorites: Autumn Shade, Mary Jane, Get Free, Homesick

It’s ok and enjoyable at times but a decidedly average, quite derivative, piece of music that doesn’t justify inclusion on the list.

This album was album, maybe missed when that kind of music was in its peak but it's relatively alright. Leaving this in the background is pretty decent.

"Get Free" was the best song on this album and the rest was just either too boring or I wasnt able to understand a word of it so I don't think I'll be listening to any of this album again except for that one song. It also seemed really basic for an alt rock band but right on brand with any band from the 90s/early 2000s.

It's ok. Their song Get Free is one that I recognize, but otherwise not a terribly memorable album for me.

Indie normalito y repetitivo, suena a britpop moderno aunque sean australianos

70/100. A solid garage punk record with plenty of energy. The riffs hit hard, the instrumentation is tight, and everything feels nicely rough around the edges. A good snapshot of early 2000s garage rock.

One good song

Man oh man...the 'next' Nirvana. But why do we need a next Nirvana? We had the real Nirvana! We don't need a 'next' Andy Warhol, or a 'next' Tarantino, or a 'next' Margaret Atwood. Why do music critics insist on doing this to bands? Rant aside, The Vines were basically just a pastiche of like seven great bands. Not a lot of originality here. Sigh...

Just not that good.

Derivative, boring crap that I barely got through. But Homesick is one of the best songs on any album so far

7/10

Talk about an album that sounded like every genre that had a moment in the 90s/early 2000s, I heard a lot of different musical influences.

Even in Australia, alt rock still isn't good.

It was fine, just monotonous and didn't bring much new to the table IMHO. Nothing I would seek out again.

good

blue öyster cult riff going on there ... well that was fine? but really didn't catch my attention so i guess 3/5

Not bad at all Songs are better than the single. Enjoyable, cant imagine coming back to it too much, but im glad I heard it 3

this is good!!! wish i could give half stars i would've given three and a half but three isn't enough so this gets four

An album that feels very 2002, 'Highly Evolved' might be a little bit of a stretch, but it's a solid listen with fine garage post-grunge tunes. Top tracks: "Get Free," "Outtathaway," "Country Yard"

--Highly Evolved...energetic but generic opener --Autumn Shade...slowed down, distorted guitar rock. boring --Outtathaway...fun garage rock --Sunshinin...something a little more danceable. enjoyable --Homesick...aimless baroque pop --Get Free...nice energy but doesn't do it for me --Country Yard...their voices aren't good enough for the Beatles-esque harmonies they're foisting upon us. maybe they're being ironic? --Factory...I like the guitar/bass breakdown in the middle --In the Jungle...generic rock song #334 --Mary Jane...the obligatory is-it-about-a-girl-or-weed? song. of course it's six minutes long --Ain't No Room...I feel like the Vines CAN rock, they CAN slow things down and get melodic, they just don't really excel at either at this point --1969...just in case you needed another clue that the Vines were influenced by the 60s

The fact that this is on here but Weezer isn't is hilarious. One star.

Dull and uninspired.

The one hit wonder syndrome. I think I covered this theme before with The Only Ones. If you trotted off to the cross roads with Robert Johnson and butted into the chat with Beelzebub, and before he said fuck off I'm talking to Robert, he told you you'd be a one hit wonder would you take it? Listening to this, I'm still not sure what I'd do? I'm sure The Vines were fun to see live but this is just a cavalcade of direct lifts to create a sound which is ok, not exciting or anything, just ok. Get Free, blimey get in the queue on what he's nicked there bless him, but it's ok. Word of warning though Craig, Daniel Johns and a few others, maybe even Brian Eno cause he pops up everywhere, will come a knocking on your door one day.

'Rock is Back!' screamed the front cover of the Sept 2002 issue of the Rolling Stone with a photo of The Vines (also mentioned on the cover; The Strokes, The Hives, The White Stripes). The Rolling Stones mistakes a corporate marketing exercise for real rock yet again, what a surprise. The early 2000s rock "resurgence" was really just a dying spasm of a barely animated corpse before the genre finally collapsed into irrelevancy. Don't get me wrong; I love rock and roll. But even at the time, I couldn't get too excited about the garage rock revival of the early 2000s. It seemed much more cool posturing, fashion and retro references than something truly new and dangerous. Now, I reckon many of those bands could put on an exciting and energetic show (and that certainly was the Vines' reputation at the time), but seriously, was this world changing? In their hometown, The Vines came up playing venues like the Annandale and the Iron Duke Hotel, where you could see an equally exciting band almost any night of the week. My own shitty band had played those venues on multiple occasions, and I feel like we could give The Vines a run for their money on a good night. So why did _these_ bands get all the trappings of Important Music, like Rolling Stone covers and NME raves and major record deals? I am currently reading Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001–2011, Lizzy Goodman's excellent oral history which details the rebirth of the New York rock scene in the new millennium. She clearly thinks all of these bands were pretty cool and exciting and yet the underlying message is clear; it was a moment in time when the record industry had money to invest and needed something exciting and cool to market, and these bands happened to be in the right place at the right time. They aren't that special, really. In the case of The Vines, Craig Nicholls was a compelling frontman who could craft a catchy tune, and the record company invested enough money to produce a pretty good sounding record (although a careful look at the credits reveals the extensive overdubbing by the producer and session musos). But, as Steve Albini points out, anyone can make a 'good sounding' record if you spend enough money on it. Nicholls can craft a good tune and present it with gusto, but he wears his influences on his sleeve. Not quite plagiarism but _that close_ (*holds up thumb and forefinger with tiny gap between*). Seriously, if I was having a beer at the Iron Duke and The Vines had got up and torn through this set live, I would be pretty stoked. They seem like a great little live band. But I have seen hundreds of great little live bands, and what makes this one so special? Not much really. 2.5 stars, rounding down for music industry hype bullshit (which is not really their fault, but, hey, that's the game!)

Overproduced, under-performed, unoriginal.

Post-grunge revivalism masquerading as innovation, album falls on its face as ideas run out. Good fuzz sound.

Crisp production and decent performances but these songs are very forgettable. Favorite track was Get Free I guess?

The fuzz sound and the higher tempo rock songs were to my liking and I wished there were more of this. Some of the slower songs felt dull. Best song was Highly Evolved.

the short songs are better than most of the garage rock revival stuff out there because they have some aggression and power. as far as music press pushed acts from the time go this isn’t bad, though slower songs like Homesick and Mary Jane do less than nothing for me. deserves to be one of the 1001? no lol

it’s alright. has the bones to be someone’s favorite just not mine

The Vines played a concert in London that got one of the only ever 0 star reviews from the Guardian

Highly Evolved 3.4 Autumn Shade 3.2 Outtathaway 3.3 Sunshinin 3.3 Homesick 3.2 Get Free 3.4 Country Yard 3.3 Factory 3.3 In the Jungle 3.4 Mary Jane 3.3 Ain't No Room 3.3 1969 3.5 Score: 3.325

A lot better than I was expecting, some really fun grooves. One I will definitely come back to. Standout Songs: Autumn Shade Sunshinin Get Free Factory In The Jungle

It’s what Oasis would be if there were no Beatles: a very good rock band. I want to hear this album again.

This is way heavier than I thought. I was expecting The View or The Coral or such. I did recognize one track, never realised it was them who did it. Pretty good. I’ll go 3.5 rounded up.

This was a firm favourite of mine at the time

Pretty nice rock.

A lot of fun, 3.5 stars

God save me from whiny men and mediocre music

Great find, so surprised that I hadn’t heard this before. Great album. Sounds like the Strokes

I only knew one song from The Vines, and it was Get Free, so I was expecting a lot of that type of music. It's funny how that song is so much different from the rest of the album. Kinda wish it was more like it.

they tried to trick me at first but this is not good.

Fun alt rock yuh

not bad! Would listen again

This type of music strives to be included in NHL games. 1.5

This is #day516 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I have a memory of The Vines from my college days. I remember sitting in a pub with a fellow student, talking about music, grunge, I think, and this band came up. Listening to Highly Evolved years later, though, I clearly hear it as a product of its era: '00s garage and indie rock. Not really something I reach for anymore, and maybe never truly did. I'm also not sure what this album has to do with those you must hear before you die. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day517.

Me divertí, tiene canciones buenas

Overall rating by me: 6/10 Songs added to the playlist: ,,Highly Evolved", ,,Outtathaway" Notes: Nice sound and original vocals. Although it was created around 20 years ago, the vibe is as if it's meant to sound like something from decades back. I'm not big into indie rock though.

Good, but not my thing

-one of those albums i don’t have all that much to say about. i’d never heard of this band before but i’m pretty sure i like them, they remind me a bit of Queens Of The Stone Age -maybe i’ll listen to this again and like it more someday, but as of now not too much stood out so it’s sitting at a 3 -Favorites: Highly Evolved, Outtathaway, In The Jungle

Naming a Psychedelic track Mary Jane well after the 1960's should be a crime. Rest of the album is fine enough modern Rock. Not quite car commercial 2000's Rock, but it's much more sanitised than more interesting albums from the likes of the Brian Jonestown Massacre and BRMC. Probably fun if you grew up with it but not the most interesting thing otherwise.

Great energy

Kinda forgettable, songs develop in predictable ways (with a few exceptions), and sounds quite derivative of the beatles/nirvana

Wasn't bad but it was so generic. Already forgotten what I've just listened to 3 ⭐️

I know one song by these guys, not sure if it's off this record. They were never on my radar in the early 00's.

The Vines' Highly Evolved is an OK album! I wouldn't call it thought provoking or even ground breaking, but it's got a certain easy grunge feel to it. "1969" in particular was catchy! "Factory" had a touch of ska/two tone, which gave the Vines way more depth. And I do love a theme, so a song named "In the Jungle" was endearing. I'm not sure if this is enough to warrant the album's placement on this list, but it's much better than the two hour electronic nonsense I listened to yesterday.

This album was a blast from the past. In the mid 2000s, I was really into that post-grunge, alternative garage rock revival sound, and I specifically temember this band and album really scratching that itch for me back then. They weren't necessarily the best band doing this sound, but they did it well. Listening now, I still find this to be enjoyable enough. Not sure this needs to be on here, but oh well.

It’s not even that long of an album but I was tired of it long before it was over. I will say that the song Get Free is a banger though. That’s the only one I had heard before and I have always liked that song. Wikipedia says this band was compared to Nirvana which is a real stretch. I guess towards the end of the track Ain’t No Room I can hear the singer trying to find his inner Cobain. But I mainly hear Beatles influences. Overall this is pretty generic alt-pop. Pretty much the epitome of a bland inoffensive three star album.

- There are certainly 3003 albums I would rather hear than this one before I die ..... none of them are by Linkin Park. -

A good album, I liked autumn Shade, Country Yard and In The Jungle the most.

These guys came right after the Strokes exploded and brought rock and roll back. They were meh then and have not aged past that.

I don't remember most of this. Middle of the road Indie.

Hey, pretty good! I believe the big influence they've had on other bands due to how familiar they sound.

This album got a lot of flak for being a straight Nirvana rip-off, but I don't hear it that way. The influence is there, of course, but where isn't it in modern rock? The Vines lean way more into Beatles sensibilities than Nirvana ever did, and they do it well. (Factory is a superb Beatles/Nirvana mash-up.) I admire the way this band somehow makes straight bangers like Get Free and whistful sing-songy stuff like Country Yard sound like they belong together. Great album. Side story/humble-brag: Jenny and I saw The Vines in Paris in 2004. We had seen them a few months before in Denver, and the show was so-so, but we liked the idea of seeing a concert in Paris, so we went. It ended up being one of the funnest shows I've ever been to. To start, there was no opening band. The show started at 8 pm, and The Vines walked on stage at 8 pm. How novel! And the French crowd was WAY more fun than those stick-up-there-ass American crowds. Also, it seemed the band was way more excited about playing a gig in Paris than in Denver. Go figure. It was just a blast . . . and then it was over by 9:30! The night was still young. Anywho . . . Merry Christmas, if that's an appropriate thing to say to you!

Never heard this band before. I liked it. There are some very Nirvana-like sounds on here, but it clearly stands on its own. I'll be adding this to the rotation.

2/5 - I thought this was forgettable at best. I didn’t get into this style of early 2000s band where everybody was “The” something with tons of hype. Maybe The Strokes sucked all the air out of the room. Didn’t need to hear it.

"Highly Evolved" is a decent Rock album. No more and no less than that. Three stars. 1 "Highly Evolved" (3/5) 2 "Autumn Shade" (3/5) 3 "Outtathaway" (3/5) 4 "Sunshinin" (3/5) 5 "Homesick" (4/5) 6 "Get Free" (4/5) 7 "Country Yard" (3/5) 8 "Factory" (3/5) 9 "In the Jungle" (3/5) 10 "Mary Jane" (3/5) 11 "Ain't No Room" (3/5) 12 "1969" (4/5) Total - 39 Average - 3.25 196/1001 109/196 albums reviewed were new to me.

Enjoyed ‘Homesick’. Meh on the rest.

Didn’t have time to pay much attention to this but from what I picked up it’s fairly generic indie-rock. Nothing too remarkable about it.

I hadn't heard of The Vines before. The album was OK. Musically it wasn't bad although it seemed as if at time they had a limited number of guitar chords that they knew how to play. Other tracks were more tuneful. Vocally it was a mixture. On many tracks it was too 'harsh' for my liking, but a few, e.g. Mary Jane (my favourite), had decent vocals.

So much better than I thought it’d be! I wrote of The Vines way back when because I thought the lead singer was obnoxious and the hype was unwarranted based on the single they put out. But this was a great listen.

Solid. Maybe I liked it because finally something energetic came up on the list for once.

Basically a Temu Nirvana but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like it

This is a decent ride. The big single still holds up with that manic energy. "..frequently compared to Nirvana." needs citation. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Sunshinin - Get Free - Factory

Good vocals. Like the guitar work. First song, the lead singer sounded a little like Kurt when he was screaming. Their Aussie heritage reminds me of Oasis, which are not Aussie but they aren't American so it's basically the same thing. I really enjoyed the album, can't lie. I'd listen again for sure. 4 stars.

I enjoyed this a little more than my rating implies, as I don't have the same allergy many other music geeks have for car commercial rock. That being said, you won't see me step up to defend it. This is no exception to the rule; this album is pleasant and listenable in the moment, but the individual elements that make it up rarely go beyond being pretty decent. It doesn't really possess any riffs, hooks, or lyrics I'll remember for longer than 10 minutes after a listen.

Really enjoyed this one! Solid album from a group I’ve never heard before. I kind of agree with the general consensus that it doesn’t belong on this list, but I enjoyed listening nonetheless

Derivative slop. Autumn Shade was good though.

This is an unexpectedly attractive album...I love the music and it's pop punk or alter rock typical sound is actually quite enjoyable, probably because i am used to listening to this type of music. In the Jungle is a fun ride. Overall 3.5/5, nothing too novel though.

Okay, nothing to write home about. Can't think there is better out there.

It sounds to me as if there are two distinct characters vying for dominance on this album. One wants to trade in rich, warm harmonisation verging on Floyd-esque in places and even Beatles influenced cuteness; the other wants to be a grungy garage band. In case your wondering what the opening to In The Jungle reminds you of, it’s Don’t Fear the Reaper but then it lets loose into punkier territory, making the song a microcosm of the whole album. Who wins, Jekyll or Hyde? It’s probably a draw and, like the book, the two personalities never quite learn to play nicely.

Pleasantly surprised by this. I was expecting a Get Real one-trick pony but there is real range here.

I was conflicted on this album. I didn’t feel a whole lot of much. But I also didn’t need to. I just enjoyed it. I tapped and bopped. I know there was an indie sleaze wave in this era, and I know the vines cashed in on it a little, the interview I heard was that there was too much demand in the UK for the industry to supply all the bands, so they imported them, along with the vines, there was the hives, and the strokes obviously to name a few. I was about 8 when this his the radio waves, and I think the next 10 years had elements of this sound through most local bands in aus. You could say it was other bigger international bands that were the influence, but growing up in aus, there’s something distinct in the voices that we then heard from following acts like Eskimo Joe, kisschasy, gyroscope, and faker and I feel like these guys might have been the first. At very least, they found themselves on the cover of rolling stone magazine, surely that counts for something. Maybe its the nostalgia driving me to be more generous to them. 4/5

Gnagnagna, Indie rock, gnagnagna, inconséquent, gnagnagna, autre chose stp, gnagnagna… Cyril, j’ai bien lu tes messages d’il y a quelques semaines déjà, je vais voir si je trouve du temps ce weekend pour une kick update!

This was certainly one of the albums of all time.

I’d never heard of the Vines, enjoyed this one.

Maybe it’s just my mood for the day, but I really enjoyed this album. It was a quick and fun listen. I appreciated the chill rock vibe with angsty undertones when fitting. I think it easily could have gone without the screamo vocals and been equally impactful, but I appreciate the artistry.

Смешанные чувства. С одной стороны довольно дико и "вкусно", с другой как-то слишком нарочито, пародийно, попсово. Лучшая песня: Highly Evolved

Meh.

Yeah, it's OK. Doesn't really stretch the envelope, but .... it's OK

Dull

I listened to this while reading a bit in A Tale Of Two Cities where the French reveloution really kicked off and it was all pretty exciting. The album is fairly generic though.

Neutral

Get free mi je super singl. Ostatak mi je onako. Kad smo kod Australac s početka nultih sigurno su bolji od Jeta😃

Compared to Nirvana. OK. But not Nirvana.

So middle of the road that I’m taking the first exit

I don't know what to make of this - it sort of reminded me of Nirvana with a vague hint of The Clash - but not in the class of either. Fine but nothing stood out and I doubt I would listen again.

The tantalising love child of Blur and Nirvana. It has been a while since I listened to this album, and while there are better bands doing that fin de siècle garage rock sound, it’s not a bad album.

4,5

Never heard of these guys but loved this

Otra banda del pelotón del revival garajero de principios de siglo, pero sin el acierto de The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Libertines y The White Stripes. Abre con la homónima Highly Evolved, su mayor éxito. Autumn Shade baja revoluciones, sonando más psicodélica, ampliando una paleta que les acerca a por ejemplo Supergrass. La suben y con mucho estilo en Outtathaway, tercer sencillo del disco y uno de sus mejores temas. Es línea más melódica la siguen con Sunshinin y sobre todo con Homesick Get Free es un trallazo en toda regla. Country Yard, es un lento y reposado tema que hubieran firmado los Boo Radleys, que sin embargo no termina de despegar. Factory es un sonido Beatle pero no en el mejor sentido precisamente. In the jungle sigue por los mismos derroteros, no termina de convencer como los primeros temas. Es de lo más flojos del álbum. Recuperan el tono con Ain´t no room y sobre todo con 1969. Un buen disco, pero lejos de joyas como las citadas anteriormente.

I love Nirvana

Not bad

The songs on this album are like McDonald's cheeseburgers. They aren't exceptionally good, they aren't original, and I wouldn't want to have them everyday. But they are exactly as advertised, they are consistent, reliable, and you know what you're getting. Except for the slow songs, those are more like The shit you take after eating a couple McDonald's cheeseburgers.

BIG Manic Street Preachers vibes. And I'm a sucker for some Manic Street Preachers

Awful

This was fun! I'd have to listen again to know if it's something I'd add to my rotation.

At first I thought this post-punk, kind of 90's style dad band stuff would be right up my alley. It was... sort of. But there is something kind of holding it back somehow from really being the cat's meow. It IS my scene and it is done well and they are entertaining. Maybe it is I felt that British beat in it that is pretty saturated or that while it is good it never quite hits great? I don't know. I don't want to undervalue it and it is definitely worth listening to, it could be just this particular album is not for me, hit producing? I don't know...

It is OK Brit Pop. I had Get Free as a workout song for years, the rest of the album is just OK.

This is a fun rocker. I often found myself interested in the music and even impressed with the creativity of the band. Nothing really stuck with me though. Will listen again sometime, but I just want my new album today. Four stars.

generiskt

Opening track promised more than the album delivered. A high 2, but a 2

It's ok but I'm not overly blown away either, at times the vocals lean into a Cobain like sound, but the songs are not at the Nirvana level, at times it feels like a Britpop inspired record but again just doesn't have the songwriting punch of Oasis, Blur, the Verve, etc. it's ok, not sure it should be on the list.

I remember when these guys blew up, and I'm trying to remember the knock against them at the time. I want to say it was that vocalist Craig Nicholls was shamelessly aping Kurt Cobain? And now that I check Wikipedia, yeah, they were compared to Nirvana a lot. I remember not caring for them then, and that hasn't changed 23 years later. This sounds like rote post-Nirvana alternarock uniting with post-Hives garage rock. Two great tastes that don't taste great together.

When I saw this pop up I was like, okay I've never really listened to the Hives. Then I squinted and also realized I've never really (at all?) listened to the Vines. I guess it makes sense that this is what rock critics at the turn of the century thought was a return to rock n roll. Seems all around pretty basic to me.

I thought this was a pretty generic and almost boring album.

I really enjoyed this - an extra star for being an Australian band (under represented on this list if you ask me!) I'd only really heard one other track by this group 'Ride' which is a banger and worth a listen. I'll come back to listen to this again

Always happy to discover new Australian musicians.

fun early 2000s rock. I didn’t listen to the Vines but have heard this record. I still like this.

Rock is rock, meh

Over hyped, debut, garage rock, Beatles at heart Homesick Get free

I enjoyed this blend of 60s pop and 90s garage rock. I'd forgotten this band, but do now remember that magazine cover with the "The" bands, and, after a little delve, I remember "Ride" from album 2. I'm not going to moan that this album is derivative and pronounce it unworthy; I thought it was good, and I've concluded that moments of "newness" are, in any case, really rare post-2000, and quality should still count. Quality was found in every song, and the last track is actually pretty epic. Young lads having a properly decent go, they deserved their success.

I didn't expect this one to be boring but it was

Not for me.

A bit more to it than the grunge throwback the first few singles seemed to be. Alright, but I did fine without listening to it for so long - another one that maybe represents the era (and NME), but probably doesn’t belong in the list.

There's nothing wrong with this as such – a bit mixed in places, with a couple of odd choices, but not unpleasant. I just found it a bit boring and generic. I don't think I'd ever heard it before, but it's not something I'll seek out again.

Fair to middlin’ …..there are much better candidate from this era.

The short title track is catchy and the production is slick enough for this to grab me. Autumn Shade drops the tempo down immediately but there's a grandeur to the riffing that I like. Clean transition into Outtathaway which leans more into the garage rock sound - but I don't dislike it. Good full sound, especially the low end. Get Free is the most energetic stuff so far. Overall we are alternating between heavier uptempo songs and sadboy 90s style rock. Factory is the most retro, surf rock inspired maybe? and the intro riff to In The Jungle sounds like some sort of weird dub cover of Don't Fear The Reaper. Maybe the latter part dragged a bit but it's all a fairly compelling - if jarring at times - combination.