News
Veronica Falls - Waiting For Something To Happen
4 StarsThe band’s second album possesses a newfound elegance and maturity, without compromising their sense of character.
With their innate pop sensibility, raucous guitars, galloping drums and seemingly surgically attached sunspecs, Veronica Falls and their self-titled debut came across as as a spiritual successor to early period Jesus And Mary Chain minus the feedback back in 2011. Tracks like ‘Beachy Head’ and ‘Come On Over’ felt like descendants of the Reid brothers’ brilliant ‘Upside Down’. It also garnered the most descriptions of ‘spooky’ since the first Horrors record.
So far, so good. But come second full-length ‘Wait For Something To Happen’ gone are the knowing references to love in graveyards and notorious suicide spots, to be replaced instead by an attempt to ‘distil the essence of an aimless twentysomething existence into a set of immaculately conceived and perfectly wrought pop songs’. What does that actually mean? First and foremost, production that’s purposeful yet airy enough to showcase the band’s vocal harmonies and songwriting nous.
Those of the view that, from The Primitives’ ‘Crash’ through to ‘Call Me Maybe’, the best pop is characterised by its immediacy will be well-served by ‘Wait For Something To happen’, with the likes of ‘Broken Toy, lead single ‘My Heart Beats’ , the title track and ‘Buried Alive’ all providing an instant, espresso-like hammer blow of near-euphoric, uptempo melodicism. Even for a band that have traditionally proved themselves better suited to the faster-paced elements of their arsenal, their more stately work on the new record – such as ‘Daniel’ and ‘Lost Conversation’ – possesses a newfound elegance and maturity, without compromising their sense of character. As balancing acts go, it’s an impressive display.
Assured, confident, and infectious, ‘Wait For Something To Happen’ sees a band developing both as musicians and songwriters while still retaining what made them great in the first place. For a record built upon the simplicity of of the three-minute pop song it possesses a staggering amount of depth that encourages repeat plays, opening itself up further each time. A window into aimless early adulthood never sounded so good.
Read More
Basic Plumbing - Keeping Up Appearances
4 Stars
Full of charm and integrity.
23rd January 2020, 7:58am
Listen: Veronica Falls Unveil New ‘Need You Around’ Track
New song forms part of Veronica Falls' tour 7 single."
29th October 2013, 5:43pm
Listen: Veronica Falls Share New Track, ‘Nobody There’
Sweet song penned ahead of a new tour previews the band's Australasia dates.
17th October 2013, 10:26am
Veronica Falls Prep October UK Tour, Announce 7” Single
London Bella Union signings play this weekend's Green Man Festival.
16th August 2013, 11:11am
Featuring SOFT PLAY, Corinne Bailey Rae, 86TVs, English Teacher and more!