Two Vines

The duo started writing their third studio album after contributing music to the 2014 film Dumb and Dumber To.{{cite web |last=Kaplan |first=Ilana |url=https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/empire-of-the-sun-interview |title=24 Hours in LA with Empire of the Sun: Vodka, Robots, and Lots of Lasers |work=Vice |date=9 November 2015 |accessdate=22 October 2016}} The album was recorded in Hawaii and Los Angeles, and it was co-produced by Empire of the Sun and Peter Mayes alongside regular collaborator Jonathan Sloan.{{cite magazine |last=Reed |first=Ryan |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/empire-of-the-sun-recruit-lindsey-buckingham-for-new-lp-w435577 |title=Empire of the Sun Recruit Lindsey Buckingham for New LP |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=22 August 2016 |accessdate=23 August 2016}} In November 2015, lead singer Luke Steele noted that the album was "75 percent there".

On 22 August 2016, it was announced that the album was titled Two Vines and would be released on 28 October. It features contributions from Fleetwood Mac singer-guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, Wendy Melvoin (from Prince's The Revolution band), and David Bowie collaborators Henry Hey and Tim Lefebvre. Nick Littlemore explained the inspiration behind the title as "this image of a modern city overtaken by jungle".{{cite web |last=Pearce |first=Sheldon |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/67672-empire-of-the-sun-announce-new-album-two-vines/ |title=Empire of the Sun Announce New Album Two Vines |publisher=Pitchfork |date=22 August 2016 |accessdate=1 October 2016}}

The album's lead single, "High and Low", was released on 24 August 2016. This was shortly followed by the album's first promotional single, "Two Vines", which was released the following day.{{cite web |last=Monroe |first=Jazz |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/67789-listen-to-empire-of-the-suns-new-song-two-vines/ |title=Listen to Empire of the Sun's New Song "Two Vines" |publisher=Pitchfork |date=25 August 2016 |accessdate=22 October 2016}} "To Her Door" was released on 30 September 2016 as the album's second single.{{cite web |url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/to-her-door-single/id1157760585 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022161343/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/to-her-door-single/id1157760585 |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 October 2016 |title=To Her Door – Single by Empire of the Sun |publisher=iTunes Store (US) |accessdate=22 October 2016}}

{{Music ratings

| ADM = 6.4/10{{cite web|title=Two Vines by Empire Of The Sun reviews {{!}} Any Decent Music|url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/8347/Empire-Of-The-Sun-Two-Vines.aspx|website=www.anydecentmusic.com|accessdate=1 November 2016}}

| MC = 66/100

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/two-vines-mw0002976687|title=Two Vines - Empire of the Sun|publisher=AllMusic|last=Sendra|first=Tim|accessdate=30 October 2016}}

}}

Two Vines received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 66, based on 14 reviews.{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/two-vines/empire-of-the-sun |title=Reviews for Two Vines by Empire of the Sun |publisher=Metacritic |accessdate=30 October 2016}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Two Vines track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| total_length = 41:01

| title1 = Before

| writer1 = {{hlist|Luke Steele|Nicholas Littlemore|Mayes|Henry Hey}}

| extra1 = {{hlist|Empire of the Sun|Peter Mayes}}

| length1 = 4:04

| title2 = High and Low

| writer2 = {{hlist|Steele|Littlemore|Mayes|Jonathan Sloan}}

| extra2 = {{hlist|Empire of the Sun|Mayes}}

| length2 = 3:44

| title3 = Two Vines

| writer3 = {{hlist|Steele|Littlemore|Sloan}}

| extra3 = {{hlist|Empire of the Sun|Donnie Sloan}}

| length3 = 3:49

| title4 = Friends

| writer4 = {{hlist|Steele|Littlemore|Mayes|Sloan}}

| extra4 = {{hlist|Empire of the Sun|Sloan|Mayes}}

| length4 = 3:20

| title5 = There's No Need

| writer5 = {{hlist|Steele|Littlemore|Mayes|Sloan}}

| extra5 = {{hlist|Empire of the Sun|Mayes|Sloan}}

| length5 = 3:28

| title6 = Way to Go

| writer6 = {{hlist|Steele|Littlemore|Tim Lefebvre|Hey}}

| extra6 = {{hlist|Empire of the Sun|Mayes}}

| length6 = 3:12

| title7 = Ride

| writer7 = {{hlist|Steele|Littlemore|Mayes|Hey|Wendy Melvoin}}

| extra7 = {{hlist|Empire of the Sun|Mayes}}

| length7 = 4:07

| title8 = Digital Life

| writer8 = {{hlist|Steele|Littlemore|Teddy Geiger|Mayes}}

| extra8 = {{hlist|Empire of the Sun|Mayes}}

| length8 = 4:02

| title9 = First Crush

| writer9 = {{hlist|Steele|Littlemore|Mayes|Hey|Sloan}}

| extra9 = {{hlist|Empire of the Sun|Mayes|Sloan}}

| length9 = 4:10

| title10 = ZZZ

| writer10 = {{hlist|Steele|Littlemore|Sloan}}

| extra10 = {{hlist|Empire of the Sun|Mayes}}

| length10 = 3:10

| title11 = To Her Door

| writer11 = {{hlist|Steele|Littlemore|Mayes|Sloan|Lindsey Buckingham}}

| extra11 = {{hlist|Empire of the Sun|Mayes}}

| length11 = 3:55

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Deluxe edition bonus tracks{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/au/album/two-vines-deluxe/1142089056 |title=Two Vines (Deluxe) by Empire of the Sun |date=28 October 2016 |publisher=iTunes Store (AU) |access-date=30 October 2016}}

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| total_length = 51:03

| title12 = Keystone

| writer12 = {{hlist|Steele|Littlemore|Mayes|Sloan|Joe Hundertmark}}

| extra12 = {{hlist|Empire of the Sun|Mayes|Sloan}}

| length12 = 2:31

| title13 = Lend Me Some Light

| writer13 = {{hlist|Steele|Littlemore|Mayes|Hey}}

| extra13 = {{hlist|Empire of the Sun|Mayes}}

| length13 = 3:29

| title14 = Welcome to My Life

| writer14 = {{hlist|Steele|Littlemore|Mayes}}

| extra14 = {{hlist|Empire of the Sun|Mayes}}

| length14 = 4:02

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = North American deluxe edition bonus track{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/two-vines-deluxe/1146014216 |title=Two Vines (Deluxe) by Empire of the Sun |publisher=iTunes Store (US) |access-date=1 October 2016}}

| total_length = 54:15

| title15 = Walking on a Dream

| writer15 = {{hlist|Steele|Littlemore|Sloan}}

| length15 = 3:12

}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

• Empire of the Sun – production
• Steve Bach – additional keyboards {{small|(track 10)}}
• Lindsey Buckingham – backing vocals, guitars {{small|(track 11)}}
• Evan Frasier – mbira {{small|(track 10)}}
• Teddy Geiger – additional vocals {{small|(track 8)}}
• Mark Goldenberg – acoustic guitar {{small|(tracks 2, 3, 6, 11)}}
• Michael Harris – engineering {{small|(tracks 6, 12)}}, drum and percussion engineering {{small|(track 10)}}
• Henry Hey – keyboards {{small|(tracks 1, 6, 7, 9)}}
• Scott Horscroft – production assistance
• SK Kakraba – gyil {{small|(track 10)}}
• Mito Kasuya – vocals {{small|(track 9)}}
• Tim Lefebvre – bass {{small|(tracks 9, 10)}}

{{col-2}}

• Alan Mark Lightner – marimba, xylophone {{small|(track 10)}}
• Mike Marsh – mastering
• Peter Mayes – engineering, mixing, production
• Jake Najor – drums {{small|(tracks 6, 10, 11)}}
• Next Episode – artwork
• Roof Studio – artwork
• Todd Simon – percussion direction {{small|(track 10)}}
• Todd M. Simon – marimba, vibraphone {{small|(track 10)}}
• Donnie Sloan – production
• Dexter Story – slit drums {{small|(track 10)}}
• Te'Amir Yohannes Sweeney – slit drums {{small|(track 10)}}
• David Wilder – bass {{small|(track 7)}}

{{col-end}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+Weekly chart performance for Two Vines ! scope="col"| Chart (2016) ! scope="col"| Peak position
{{album chart|Australia|7|artist=Empire of the Sun|album=Two Vines|rowheader=true|accessdate=5 November 2016}}
{{album chart|Flanders|66|artist=Empire of the Sun|album=Two Vines|rowheader=true|accessdate=5 November 2016}}
{{album chart|Wallonia|70|artist=Empire of the Sun|album=Two Vines|rowheader=true|accessdate=5 November 2016}}
{{album chart|France|168|artist=Empire of the Sun|album=Two Vines|rowheader=true|accessdate=7 November 2016}}
{{album chart|Ireland|78|year=2016|week=44|rowheader=true|accessdate=5 November 2016}}
scope="row"| New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/albums/2016-11-04|title=NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=7 November 2016|access-date=4 November 2016}} | 2
{{album chart|Scotland|41|date=2016-11-04|rowheader=true|accessdate=5 November 2016}}
{{album chart|Switzerland|42|artist=Empire of the Sun|album=Two Vines|rowheader=true|accessdate=9 November 2016}}
{{album chart|UK2|42|date=2016-11-04|rowheader=true|accessdate=5 November 2016}}
{{album chart|Billboard200|51|artist=Empire of the Sun|rowheader=true|accessdate=9 November 2016}}
{{album chart|BillboardDanceElectronic|1|artist=Empire of the Sun|rowheader=true|accessdate=8 November 2016}}
{{album chart|BillboardAlternative|8|artist=Empire of the Sun|rowheader=true|accessdate=17 November 2016}}
{{album chart|BillboardRock|11|artist=Empire of the Sun|rowheader=true|accessdate=17 November 2016}}

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+Year-end chart performance for Two Vines ! scope="col"| Chart (2016) ! scope="col"| Position
scope="row"| US Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2016/dance-electronic-albums |title=Dance/Electronic Albums – Year-End 2016 |magazine=Billboard |accessdate=10 December 2016}} | 25

{{col-end}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Empire of the Sun}}

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Category:2016 albums

Category:Astralwerks albums

Category:Empire of the Sun (band) albums

Category:Virgin EMI Records albums

Category:Albums recorded at Electro-Vox Recording Studios