The garage rock revolution. Post-punk revival. New rock renaissance. The movement went by many names but during the early 2000s, the buzz around it remained constant. Not since grunge's Seattle sound emerged had rock felt like it carried so much momentum, with a slew of androgynous twenty-somethings—floppy haired, in skinny jeans—poised on the precipice of greatness. The movement launched the careers of the "The" bands—The White Stripes, The Strokes, The Hives—and paved the way for bands like The Killers, Modest Mouse and The Black Keys to keep riding the wave. When Sydney band The Vines released their 2002 debut, Highly Evolved, they became the first Aussie outfit since Men at Work to grace the cover of the American edition of Rolling Stone—and with the crowing headline: "Rock is Back: Meet the Vines", no less. They won an ARIA, performed on Letterman and at the MTV Awards, and “Get Free” reached no. 11 on the Billboard charts. Twenty years later, the album is a time capsule. All the best parts of the early 2000s rock experience are present and accounted for, from the blistering pace and sweat-soaked energy of “Get Free” to the gentle psychedelia of “Ain't No Room” and title track “Highly Evolved”. The entire album is delivered with a winning combination of infectious spirit and Nevermind-esque carelessness that’s emblematic of both the movement and the time, while Craig Nicholls' vocals are perfectly at home in a post-Cobain musical landscape. It's a high-energy album, but not without nuance. There’s a solid balance of intensity and earnestness to the tracks that makes its 44-minute running time seem just right, with enough stylistic variety to keep it feeling fresh throughout. You can hear subtle hints to their musical influences—a nod to ska here (“Factory”), a touch of American roots rock (“Sunshinin'”) and Brit punk (“Outtathaway”) there. “Autumn Shade” feels equally inspired by (What's the Story) Morning Glory and even OK Computer, while the falsetto-filled “Country Yard” has a lazy, meandering feel that recalls the early days of psychedelic rock—and it’s all delivered with an enthusiasm that feels endearing rather than derivative. It’s perhaps unsurprising that The Vines, unlike some of their new-rock peers, never again achieved the dizzying heights of Highly Evolved—there was, after all, such stiff competition. But it’s hard to think of another Australian album which encapsulates that particular moment in musical history better (or more joyously). It's an album for sitting back, closing your eyes and remembering all the good things about a time that was—and at the end of the day, isn't that what it's all about?