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The last time we heard from The Veils on a recording was in 2009 with Sun Gangs. But, we’re sure to get more from the band soon, as their latest Troubles in the Brain EP indicates.
You’ll find traditional touchstones of the group throughout this 7 song collection. “The Wishbone” uses singer Finn Andrews voice to carry the song, whilst the rest of the group uses intricate touches of production and layering to flesh out the rest of the track. It’s odd, but for some reason I hear a lot of Jason Spacemen in this track.
Personally, “Grey Lynn Park” is my favorite track on this EP. Andrews has a bit of a heavier tone to his voice, but it’s the way the strong was constructed that really gets at me. It’s as if every little piece of instrumentation serves the perfect purpose, making this one of my favorite tracks from the band’s career.
Of course, these stronger tracks all live at the back end, as the first half of Troubles of the Brain are a little bit bouncier. It’s not necessarily a bad way to approach the songwriting, but “Don’t Let the Same Bee Sting You Twice” and “The Stars Came Out Once the Lights Went Out” are very similar, perhaps just because of the rhythm. The latter has a bit of Arcade Fire construction to it, even in the way that the lyrics are composed. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just a bit of commentary.
It seems clear throughout that The Veils are listening to their peers, as a lot of this EP has touches of current products out in the indie world. From guitar sounds to the various layers being used, it all has some sort of link. But, their bread and butter lives in their quiet place, or rather those moments like “Iodine and Iron” when Finn sounds fragile. These are the moments when Andrews as a songwriter is clearly above so many, and creates the kind of work you wish there was more of in the world. Troubles of the Mind clearly has indicators as to where the band goes from here. Either way the band goes, it seems grounded in continual growth, which is never a bad thing.
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/04.-The-Wishbone.mp3]
Download: The Veils – The Wishbone [MP3]
A lot is always said about creativity amongst singer-songwriters, and recent hits like Jens Lekman (or I guess you could say James Blake) use the layering of textures to craft amazing tracks. James Friley does much the same thing under the name Idiot Glee, except my itnerest in his tunes comes from his influences musically, such as Scott Walker or Brian Wilson…you know, real pop geniuses. He’ll be making his way to SXSW this year, and you can look for a full-length at some point in the summer. For now, just enjoy the fact that his layering of textures and melodies seems harmonious, as that’s what it should be about.
