Additional personnel: Rob Schnapf (guitar); Roger Joseph Manning Jr (keyboards); Pete Thomas, Joey Waronker, Victor Indrizzo (drums); Ethan Johns, Steven Rhoades (percussion).

Recorded at Sound Factory and Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California between July 2001 and February 2002.

Personnel: Craig Nicholls (vocals, guitar, piano, percussion); Rob Schnapf (guitar); Patrick Matthews (piano, organ); Roger Manning , Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (keyboards); Joey Waronker, Victor Indrizzo (drums); Ethan Johns, Steven Rhodes (percussion).

Audio Mixers: Andy Wallace; Rob Schnapf.

Recording information: Sound Factory (07/2001-02/2002); Sunset Sound Records, Hollywood, CA (07/2001-02/2002).

They may be hyped by the British press as no less than the second coming of Nirvana, but on Highly Evolved the Vines offer something more interesting than yet another trawl through flannel-clad angst. True, the addictively short "Highly Evolved"'s primal beat and chunky guitars are certainly post-grunge, but not not in the boringly earnest, imitative way that bands such as Silverchair were -- the song's sludgy sexiness and tight structure also recall the '60s garage punk that shaped bands like Nirvana and Mudhoney. But instead of just capitalizing on that one (admittedly great) sound, on the rest of the album the Vines prove that their style is indeed a highly evolved hybrid of grungy, garage rock swagger, '60s psych, and '70s pop. "Sunshinin'" throws a Krautrock-tinged bassline into the mix for good measure, while the irresistible "Factory" sounds like Elton John and Supergrass collaborating on a response to "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da." Likewise, their ballads mix their reverence for the past with their own youthful enthusiasm. With its tinkling pianos and sweet, close harmonies, "Homesick" is a fresh update on the AM radio sounds of Gilbert O' Sullivan; the gorgeous, guitar-driven "Autumn Shade" and "Country Yard" share deep roots in British pop. Unlike many other pop postmodernists, the Vines never sound weighed down by all the influences they include in their music -- it's as if they're so excited by everything they hear, they can't help but recombine it in unique ways. In fact, "Highly Evolved"'s relatively weak moments occur when the Vines aren't doing as much musical juggling: Straightforward rockers like "1969" and "In the Jungle" are certainly driving, but aren't as distinctive as the tough, pushy riffs on "Outtathaway!" or "Ain't No Room"'s wound-up, punky pop. Still, "Highly Evolved" is a great introduction to the Vines' eclectic style and suggests that they may have a more distinctive voice -- and future -- than many of their contemporaries. ~ Heather Phares

Most folks first became aware of Australian rockers the Vines via their cover of the Beatles' "I'm Only Sleeping" on 2001's I AM SAM soundtrack album. A few months down the line, their 2002 debut album HIGHLY EVOLVED took the UK by storm. Shortly thereafter, the album was released in the US with high hopes. The group's basic, no-frills guitar rock should find plenty of friends among fans of the Strokes, the Hives, White Stripes, etc. It's rock & roll stripped to the bone, pared down to charging riffs that reference such evergreen influences as the Stooges and the MC5, and sharp songcraft with echoes of everything from T. Rex to Nirvana. There are a couple of softer moments on HIGHLY EVOLVED, such as the ruminative "Autumn Shade" and the contemplative "Homesick," but for the most part these Aussie lads lead an electrified charge with all guns blazing, frenzied vocals and sledgehammer rhythms belting out their battle cry of rock with a capital "r."