The Vines are: Craig Nicholls (Vocals, Guitar), Ryan Griffiths (Guitar), Patrick Matthews (Bass), Hamish Rosser (Drums). Though there are four members, they are pretty much carried by Craig. He is a genius songwrighter, and an amazing singer, not to mention a kick ass guitarest
now onto the review
1 - Ride - just after hearing the first riff to Ride, i knew i was hooked. it continues quickly to the chourus. after the chours the song morphs into a great solo and then into the chorus again. great song 5/5
2 - Animal Machine - pretty cool song that combines some cool acoustic work with great vocals and lyrics. great, steady bassline through the song. good chorus and solo. good song, but nothing spectacular 3/5
3 - TV Pro - after two pretty hard tracks, i was really taken aback with the soft opening, and Craigs girly sounding singing - it transformed then into a great sounding chorus and then back to the soft girly voice again. A longer chours follows, changing tempos awith Craig screaming AH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH just making you want to jump up and start rocking out. this song takes a few listens, but definitly grows on you - 4/5
4 - Autumn Shade 2 - This one is a ballad, a long, slow, drawn ballad, one that i was sure i wouldent like. It starts off nice and slow like TV Pro but dosen't really kick into gear like it does, but it isa ballad. this one also took a few listens, but i ended up really likeing it. 3.5/5
5 - Evil Town - It starts out strong, with a riff that grabs and yanks you into the song. the verse isn't as strong as the opening riff, but Craig's amazing solo makes up for it. i didn't really like the distorted voice part after that, and the ending leaves something to be desired 3.5/5
6 - Winning Days - Amazing song, probally my favorite on the albumn. the soft acoustic guitar and Craigs signature voice combine perfectly in the intro, and the lyrics are great. the chours is good, as always in a vines song, but the real highlight for me is the solo. its nothing spectacular, but it fits perfectly into the song and the moment. 5/5
-if you get the chance, go to the vines website and see the video - it is truly amazing
7 - She's Got Something to Say to Me - At this point in the albumn, i was pretty happy for making the trip to the record store and this song just made it better. the lyrics are kinda bland but i don't mind em. the guitar work and solo (salute to Craig) are a real strong suit for this song. 4/5
8 - Rainfall - A soft acoustic track, bordering on ballad, mixes well with his voice and the quiet, unrushed lyrics. another well placed solo (see winning days) make this song pretty worthwile, besides that, it dosen't have many other redeeming factors. 3/5
9 - Amnesia - after hearing this, i was really sick of these soft, acoustic tracks. this song dosent really do it for me. another solo, this one slightly worse in comparison to tracks 6-8. still not a bad track though 2.5/5
10 - Sun Child - Guess what! another acoustic track, yet i listen intently anyway. its mellowness kind of soothes me and i ended up enjoying the song, especialy the steady acoustic work and soft vocals 3/5
11 - F**k the World - just looking at the title i kenw it was not just another soft acoustic track and i was right. what a way to end the album too, a great steady bassline from the begining grabs you and the vocals bordering on screaming but not are just right for this song. a great solo compliments of Craig again. great hard rocking track and a perfect sign off for a great album 5/5
Overall, i give this a 4/5
Pros
+ Amazing singing
+ Amazing solos
+ Amazing lyrics
(all compliments to Craig)
Cons
- too many slow, acoustic songs
Winning Days is a great album, so pick it up if you can
