Best Of The Vines

As uneven as the Vines’ albums could be, they were always a first-rate singles band. Craig Nicholls and crew’s knack for cranking out sunny pop and abrasive but melodic rock is undeniable, and The Best of the Vines delivers their singles and the tracks that sounded like singles. The collection begins with the big hits (“Get Free,” “Ride,” and “Highly Evolved”), then shows off some of the Vines’ best tangents, like the irrepressibly bouncy “Factory” and the lush balladry of “Vision Valley,” “Homesick,” and “Autumn Shade.” Though the collection favors the band’s debut, Highly Evolved, gathering no less than seven of its 12 tracks, The Best of the Vines does a fine job of boiling down the band’s body of work to its essential songs. – Heather Phares