The Vines will release their second album, Winning Days, on March 23rd. The set follows the group's 2001 breakthrough debut, Highly Evolved.

The Australian troupe teamed again with producer Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith), recording the album on the heels of a lengthy tour behind Evolved. The Vines and Schnapf began work last May in Bearsville Studios in Woodstock, New York.

"We considered just re-recording the last album," frontman Craig Nicholls told Rolling Stone. "[But] I have a lot of ambition. We want to keep moving forward and up. Not up in terms of record sales, but in terms of overall satisfaction."

"FTW" (Fuck the World) is the album's first single, released through all U.S. digital retailers yesterday and also available for streaming at thevines.com. Other tracks, like "Amnesia," also show the band moving forward. "The layering of Craig's vocals is mind-blowing," Vines manager Andy Cassell said. "'Amnesia' has so many harmonies -- even though there are other instruments, all you hear is Craig's voice."

ANDREW DANSBY and SHIRLEY HALPERIN
(December 16, 2003)