The Vines ��
Any band releasing a ‘best of’ has to be in a weird state of mind. At its bare minimum a ‘best of’ is simply a way of making money, whilst making no effort. At its best it is an anthology that not only celebrates an artist’s favourite tracks ��"instead of the ones their label says will sell ��" but also defines their story. The Vines’ Best Of does not fall into the latter category. Furthermore, it should be asked; what band makes a ‘best of’ after only 6 years in the headlights? It would be like awarding McCauley Culkin a lifetime achievement award after he’d finished ‘Home Alone 2’.
The five tracks that the generic listener will recognise are also the first five album tracks. It’s as if they are trying to make it easier for us to quickly burn them and then discard the CD. Perhaps this was marketing ploy, in order to somehow entice the potential buyer into recognising the first five tracks and impulse buying the album. In reality it leaves the phrases ‘no killer’ and ‘all filler’ distinctly bouncing around the cranium.
The Vines have been influenced by the Beatles, and this comes across on the tracks. But with that in mind, it’s weird to find that their superb cover of ‘I’m Only Sleeping’ is completely absent. Surely that was a candidate for one of their ‘Best’? There are some good tracks on the album, and the Vines are a half decent band ��" we’re being gentle because it’s not their fault they’re from Australia. But quite simply, this would have been the right moment to release a blistering new album and nail the mainstream audience. Instead they’ve gone and released an album which their devotees will already have, and people who weren’t really interested won’t buy, because they aren’t really interested. This smacks of apathy, a sheer resignedness to marginality which doesn’t work in a pop band. And make no mistake, the Vines may have pretensions to be part of the Strokes era rock mini-wave, but they are solidly in the pop genre. Either the Vines have decided not to bother with effort, or they are simply preparing to disband, squeezing what poor fans they have for every last penny before they head off to do other things.