Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best of 2009
Best of 2008
Best of 2007
Best of 2006
Best of 2005
Best of 2004
Best of 2003
Best of 2002
Best of 2001
Best of 2000
Best of the Decade
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
75
Alberta Cross
70
The Album Leaf
69
Alkaline Trio
66
Animal Collective
84
Animal Collective
50
Athlete
82
Beach House
81
The Besnard Lakes
65
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
64
Dan Black
75
Mary J. Blige
75
Blockhead
79
Blood Red Shoes
70
David Bowie
64
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
72
Broken Bells
65
V.V. Brown
72
The Brunettes
71
Basia Bulat
78
Carolina Chocolate Drops
79
Johnny Cash
79
Chew Lips
82
Chicago Underground Duo
79
The Chieftains Featuring Ry Cooder
76
Citay
66
Clem Snide
77
Clipd Beaks
78
Clogs
66
Cold War Kids
75
Easton Corbin
80
Crazy Heart
70
Jamie Cullum
66
Fyfe Dangerfield
72
Delphic
64
Dinowalrus
78
Drive-By Truckers
59
Editors
71
Eels
70
Efterklang
81
Eluvium
82
Erland And The Carnival
57
Everybody Was In The French Resistance...Now
63
Excepter
78
Field Music
76
First Aid Kit
68
Josephine Foster
82
Four Tet
71
Nils Frahm
74
Freeway & Jake One
75
Frightened Rabbit
82
Fucked Up
64
Peter Gabriel
79
Charlotte Gainsbourg
80
Galactic
67
The Gilded Palace Of Sin
73
Ernest Gonzales
59
Good Shoes
79
Gorillaz
70
Adam Green
79
Patty Griffin
76
Groove Armada
67
H.I.M.
43
Hadouken!
73
Harvey Milk
68
Juliana Hatfield
66
Jimi Hendrix
88
High On Fire
80
Hot Chip
66
The Hot Rats
88
Ray Wylie Hubbard
54
Hurricane Chris
76
Jaga Jazzist
76
Jaheim
70
jj
79
Freedy Johnston
54
Nick Jonas And The Administration
57
Ke$ha
66
Alicia Keys
74
The Knife In Collaboration With Mt. Sims And Planningtorock
63
Lady Antebellum
65
Dawn Landes
82
Lawrence Arabia
74
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
82
Liars
72
Lightspeed Champion
37
Lil Wayne
82
Lindstrom & Christabelle
68
Little Boots
75
Local Natives
75
Los Campesinos!
67
Lostprophets
65
Ludacris
73
Magnetic Fields
74
Massive Attack
58
Katherine McPhee
66
Daniel Merriweather
76
Pat Metheny
72
Midlake
64
Holly Miranda
79
Allison Moorer
83
Motion City Soundtrack
53
Mudvayne
65
Mumford & Sons
55
Never Shout Never
85
Joanna Newsom
81
Scout Niblett
74
Nneka
75
Oh No Ono
70
OK Go
71
Omarion
77
Owen Pallett
84
Pantha du Prince
77
Past Lives
84
Pavement
78
Phantogram
65
Pit Er Pat
86
Polar Bear
64
Priestess
67
Quasi
77
Corinne Bailey Rae
71
The Red Krayola With Art & Language
81
Fionn Regan
77
Retribution Gospel Choir
57
Martin Rev
64
Rjd2
65
Rogue Wave
82
Jack Rose
76
The Ruby Suns
78
Sade
77
Gil Scott-Heron
77
Shearwater
69
Blake Shelton
84
Shining
68
Shout Out Louds
80
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band
73
The Soft Pack
80
Spoon
63
Ringo Starr
68
Story Of The Year
71
The Strange Boys
77
Strong Arm Steady
79
Surfer Blood
60
Tape Deck Mountain
82
These New Puritans
71
Robin Thicke
76
Tindersticks
81
Titus Andronicus
72
Toro Y Moi
63
Josh Turner
81
Vampire Weekend
79
Laura Veirs
79
Butch Walker And The Black Widows
63
The Watson Twins
69
We Are Wolves
66
Kanye West
64
Wetdog
51
The Whigs
67
White Hills
79
The White Stripes
72
The Whitefield Brothers
68
Wu-Tang Clan
75
Xiu Xiu
78
Yeasayer
73
You Say Party! We Say Die!
63
Young Money
61
Rob Zombie
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Highly Evolved
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 49 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Capitol
Release Date: 16 July 2002
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Alternative, Rock
Summary
2001 gave us The White Stripes and The Strokes; 2002 gives us The Hives and The Vines. This Australian four-piece outfit is the latest rock band to be hyped to stratospheric proportions (and an instant major-label contract) by the UK rock press, who compared the Vines to Nirvana (the band, not the concept). But although the Aussies did indeed get their start as a Nirvana cover band, there is a bit more to their debut album 'Highly Evolved' than Grunge, Part 2.
Also By This Artist: Melodia Vision Valley Winning Days
Also On The Web: Fan Site Official Vines Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
New Musical Express
They’re a shaggy-haired, surf’s up pop band and painfully vulnerable all at the same time.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
The Australian quartet's debut album justifies the fuss that followed its title track's bubblegum approximation of Nirvana. [July 2002, p.121]
Blender
If you're this good, it's not hype. [#8, p.126]
Dot Music
As a debut album, 'Highly Evolved', for all its faults, can be an energising proposition.
Read Full Review >Alternative Press
It's rare for a band to channel the Velvet Underground, Nirvana, Dandy Warhols and the Beatles within the span of 45 minutes and sound unique, but the Vines have crept into that select category with Highly Evolved. [Aug 2002, p.86]
All Music Guide
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.
Read Full Review >Uncut
The Vines' place in the rock gene pool is shaped by elements of controlled guitar thrash, often complex harmony, bubblegum psychedelia and polished piano-driven ballads with an early Seventies whiff. [Aug 2002, p.116]
Splendid
For as good as the majority of the tunes here are, the grandiose scope of Highly Evolved turns out to be a bit more than the young quartet could chew.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
A strange mix of songs that, while varied, doesn't boast much personality of its own.
Read Full Review >CDNow
Highly Evolved is clunkiest on long, drawn-out stuff like "Homesick" and "Country Yard," but singer Craig Nicholls has most of Kurt Cobain's shrieking mannerisms down, and, like most grunge, the band's simple three-chord rock is most exciting when played extremely fast.
Read Full Review >Playlouder
OK, so it tails off towards the end, and there's something rather dishonest about a band so young releasing a track like '1969', but even then it's quite endearing to see them trying to build such an immediate mythology around themselves.
Read Full Review >Neumu.net
It's hard to figure out exactly why everybody is so excited about this record.... There is something there to like -- plenty, in fact. But it is also disjointed and sometimes maddening.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
The record's big-rock sound works against it, as does its back-and-forth swing from melodic Britpop to room-filling volume.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
The Vines get credit for ambition, but Highly Evolved covers so much ground that none of it seems convincing: there's just no emotional depth here.
Read Full Review >Drawer B
The album definitely has a few remarkable moments, but it’s really just not very good.
Read Full Review >Village Voice
The Vines have trouble faking both the depth of feeling and the noisome mischief that good garage-punk requires, and the two rote Britpop numbers they tack on don't help.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 49 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Lunastar gave it a10:
This album is amazing. It was just so different from what was out there when it came out (and is still extremely enjoyable almost 4 yrs later)! Craig's vocals are something new and refreshing that you don't hear very often. Not only can he carry a tune, but when he screams it's not that hardcore shit that people have tried to pull off lately. I think when they came out people kept trying to group them with Nirvana, but they're just so different...which is so obvious with this CD. This is truly one of those CDs you can listen to from beginning to end without skipping the fluff in between!!! I suggest you buy this...as well as the new album coming out (Vision Valley) on April 4th in the US!!!
robbie d gave it a9:
this cd is awesome. im sorry that the critics dont see it. ohh wait they love the white strips though. the white stripes are terrible. the vines are awesome i mean this album rocks..if u want to get hype listen to outtatheway, and if you want to chill listen to mary jane or homesick so many good songs on this cd
Collin C gave it a9:
Critics suffer from a case of over-analysis. They wanna be the first to make a comment that hasn't been made. This is a clean mix of dirty rock. As a musician myself, I realize the genious of writing. It's about writing something that is catchy. That's genious. The vines have a great skill in making music that grabs you and rocks you, whether you want it to happen or not. This album is a beautiful concoction of the obvious chord progression and simple arrangement with tasteful and impeccable musicianship. It's a pleasant paradox.
Kate J gave it a 10:
This is the best thing I've ever heard. I love vines. I love Craig Nicholls. They're Best
Mariah M gave it a 10:
Damn. This album rocks to the core, I think it surpasses anything I've ever heard. I love how the songs can shift from a ripping mess of guitars and pounder drums, to a sweetly lulling melody of charming tune. Craig... I can't describe him. He's like some other species. He's crazy that's for sure, but how can you NOT love him? He's not insane crazy, but wild as hell. Though, he can seem pretty off his rocker some times, eh? He seriously did get free, free from what people think of him. He doesn't care, does what he wants, and never keeps his hair under control. That's what makes him great, aside from being so ridiculously attractive...-dies- He has his own way of doing things, that should be filed under "Nicholls, Craig". And if you think otherwise, keep your mouth shut, or you won't have one in the morning.
Diana M gave it a 10:
Craig Nicholls is the hottest and greatest singer alive! I especially love the song Mary Jane.
john b gave it a 9:
This is a great album from a truely gifted band. I saw them live in Hartford, Connecticut and was even more impressed. Can't wait for the follow up. Does anyone have any news on when it's due?
