Send "The Vines " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Popmatters |
 Imagine a Nirvana cover band and a second-rate Beatles cover band collaborated on a garage rock project. Got that mental image? Good. Now you have Future Primitive, the fifth full-length from veteran Aussie rockers the Vines. Say what one will about the Capitol, pre-Asperger diagnosis days of the Vines; sure they were derivative and their albums had tons of filler, but at least they wrote catchy songs and had hits like “Get Free” and “Ride”. Thankfully lead singer Craig Nicholls was diagnosed and treated for his pervasive developmental disorder and no longer terrorizes audiences and his band with his erratic behavior. Unfortunately, the band has slipped from derivative but catchy to just plain derivative and boring, with some senseless exploration thrown in. Opener “Gimme Love” tries to capture the immediacy of their previous hits, but lacks any edge or hook. After that the album features a steady diet of general ‘60s rip-offs (“Leave Me in the Dark”), Beatles specific knockoffs (“All That You Do”) and garage punk songs (“Black Dragon”) that sound like outtakes from previous releases. It’s unclear if Nicholls is aware that adding some electronic influences to power chords does not a good song make, as he tries this approach on the eponymous track “Future Primitive”. “Weird Animals” starts with an up-tempo Violent Femmes’ style acoustic riff before turning to a psychedelic cut time section and abruptly ending… pretty weak stuff. “Outro”, an electronic piece centered on a rolling drum beat, sounds like some college kid discovering all the neato tricks of ethereal pedals, Pro Tools and freeform song structure in an “Intro to Computer Music” class. It should also be noted that “Outro” is actually the third to last track, confusing stuff. The penultimate song, “Goodbye”, is actually the most understated and best of the disc. A simple acoustic folk song, the lyrics are straight ahead heartbreak and Nicholls’ raspy, too cool for school vocals actually sound sincere. Sure it’s a Dylan knockoff, but unlike the rest of the album at least it is a strong one. ...full text |
| Hearwaxmedia |
| The Vines seem like cool guys. Back in 2002, they released Highly Evolved, a CD of not-so-evolved garage rock stylings and their popular song “Get Free”. Suffice to say, it’s usually an unabashed good time with The Vines. Fast forward nine years– now we have Future Primitive, a disc with a title that almost makes it seem like they’re purposely rescinding. Or we are. Either way, the real kicker is whether or not this brings us back to the old-style Vines or it separates them from their old, pseudo-grungy selves from almost a decade ago. Significant(?) title aside, of course. With a swift scream and a fever pitch background squeal, the opening “Gimme Love” last less than two minutes. Not much changes it seems- the speedy songs never overstay their welcome on Future Primitive. The longest song on the album is just over three-and-a-half minutes, but The Vines were never really big on the ballad. When they do a long song, they do it long, and never without reason. There is no such song here. “Leave Me in the Dark” almost ignores the flurry preceding it, slows down, and leaves one in a ‘huh?’ state. There’s a bit of oohing and aching, but none of it really seems to be too catchy. The thing about good Vines is the tendency to be snappy, fun, and somewhat rebellious. If ‘primitive’ means that that’s not there, it’s a bit of a shame. I’d hail progress....full text |
| Urchicago |
| In the early 2000s, a variety of groups emerged that were reminiscent of 60s rock and 90s grunge bands. Among them was the Australian group The Vines, whose fifth album, Future Primitive, shows they are alive and doing very well, even after the metaphorical death of many of their peers. While the short-lived rebirth of the 90s-style bands faded in the mind of the general public once Justin Timberlake and Beyonce took hold of main stream radio, this group of Australians have kept their music fresh, constantly evolving, and true to their roots. This may be why they have stayed in the game and done well for nearly a decade. Embracing the future while respecting the past, Future Primitive has a sound that is otherworldly, but still very recognizable and true to The Vines. The group mixes their live traditional sound with electric synthesizers, which takes the listener both forward and back in time. This is especially true with the title song, “Future Primitive,” combining the band's 90s sound with an extraterrestrial space ambience. Some of the songs are reminiscent of Nirvana, giving the album a nice nod to their roots and influences. The best tracks, however, are the simplest songs such as “Goodbye,” an emotional, acoustic guitar song that carries the heart and weight of the album....full text |
The Vines lyrics
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