Melodia [Import]

The Vines | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 29, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Phantom Sound & Vision
• ASIN: B001BGRZ6E
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,725 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Get Out

2. Manger

3. A.S. III

4. He's a Rocker

5. Orange Amber

6. Jamola

7. True as the Night

8. Braindead

9. Kara Jayne

10. Merrygoround

11. Hey

12. A Girl I Knew

13. Scream

14. She Is Gone

Editorial Reviews

Review

Melodia is the indeed, the comeback that everyone has been crowing about. It's an album that has reignited the desire to find out what The Vines will do next. Whatever that is, it's going to be good. --Beat

Melodia is The Vines' best work since 'Highly Evolved'. --The Sunday Times

Product Description

Australian pressing of the 2008 album from the Alternative Rockers from Down Under, their fourth album overall. Melodia, was recorded at the legendary Sunset Studios in LA with Rob Schnapf (who did their first two albums and Powderfinger's last). This fourth album comes after enigmatic front man, Craig Nicholls, has been diagnosed with Asbergers Syndrome and he made a successful live comeback in 2006/07 with killer shows at Splendour in the Grass, Homebake, Big Day Out, Reading and Leeds (UK) and their own sold out tours of Australia and the U.S. 14 tracks including 'He's A Rocker', 'Orange Amber' and 'Get Out'. Ivy Records.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars step in the right direction, October 17, 2008

By 

Van Heezy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Melodia (Audio CD)

I was surprised to see this come out. After Craig was diagnosed with Asperger's, and after how forced Vision Valley sounded, I figured they were done. But they pulled through it, and now we're at Melodia.
This isn't the same band that put out Highly Evolved or Winning Days just a few years ago. Melodia is much more polished, and lacking in some of that edge. The songs are much shorter, the longest one (not counting true as the night, hands down the best song here) clocks in at just under 3 minutes. I think they're geared more for the mainstream crowd here. That being said, there's still some gems on here. True as the Night is beautiful, Manger, Braindead, and Merrygoround show that these guys haven't completely lost their edge, there's even a Hendrix-freakout style ending on She is Gone. It all flows very well, I usually end up listening to the whole album everytime any of the songs come up on shuffle.
My biggest issue with it though is, again, how polished it sounds. If I wanted to listen to something polished, I'd listen to something more technical or orchestrated, or I'd just turn on the radio. When I listen to the Vines I want to hear more of an edge. I'm not saying put out the same album over and again, I'm just saying maybe put a little more raw emotion behind it. There's enough there to keep things interesting, but I wonder if they'll put out anything at the same level as their first two albums.

3 and a half out of 5 stars. Rounding up to 4 because I love the Vines.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome back, guys!, June 29, 2009

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Melodia (Audio CD)

The Vines will always hold a soft spot in my heart. The Australian band's 2002 debut album "Highly Evolved" was an instant smash in their home country and also in the US, and I even saw them live in support of that album (more on that later). Now finally comes the US release of their 4th studio album (released in Australia last year).

"Melodia" (14 tracks; 33 min.) continues the formula of the band, mostly short songs. In fact, all but 1 track on this album are all in the 2 min. range. The opener "Get Out" immediately invites comparisons to "Get Free" or "Ride", the band's best known songs/hits, and if it weren't for the sorry state of commercial radio in the US, it should've gotten plenty of airplay, but alas. The songs come firing back at you in an ever fast pace. "Orange Amber" is a Beatles-like beauty if the Beatles were recording today. "Jamola" is a furious 46 sec. instrumental that then leads into "True As the Night", a 6+ min. epic. and the traditional one long song on any Vines album. The albums clips along quickly at 33 min., and before you know it you wanna play this again. This album is not a great departure from their earlier output, so if you liked them before, you will like this, I can assure you. ("A.S. III" is of course the continuing story of "Autumn Shade", explored on their first 2 albums.)

I saw the Vines at Bogart's here in Cincinnati in support of their debut album, and they were outstanding, period. Regretfully, since then, singer-songwriter Craig Nicholls has dealt with all kinds of issues, and long story short, the band has not toured much (none outside Australia) since then. What a shame. "Melodia" is a nice return of the Vines, even if it doesn't break any new grounds.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Melodia Feels Familiar, October 22, 2008

By 

Corey Turner "The Musician" (Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Melodia (Audio CD)

The Vines are now on their fourth studio album. These Australian rockers know how to put out an irresistibly catchy groove. To say the least "Melodia" is very catchy, yet lacking any ambulation (no walking into any really new territory here).

"He's A Rocker" as explained by Craig is meant to be simply, but doesn't restrain itself from being great. Thumping beats with infectious waves of clapping summarize many of the songs. Their really seems o be a fun factor to the album, it ignites a smoothly defined aura that many alternative rockers turn into pretentious tunes. "Kara Jayne" is not the next movement of the similarly named track "Mary Jane" from their debut "Highly Evolved", instead a tune caressed in a loving nature. "True As Night" is the only really twist hear, the contrast compared to the blietzkrieg of sound from "Jamola" is an interesting one at that. True is rather long for the Vines, and it feels to gather from their older more softly melodic tunes.

Overall "Melodia" feels closer to their previous album "Vision Valley", then golden days of "Highly Evolved" and "Winning Days". Not a bad thing at all, but not a strong enough variety or change in sound to make for an amazing album.