"It looks an ugly world out there" moans Veils leader Finn Andrews as the New Zealand quintet opens their sophomore album Nux Vomica, and the outlook doesn't get much sunnier as the veil is lifted to reveal eleven theatric... more »al and contradictory tracks. Nux Vomica is the Latin name for a poison tree of South East Asia, source of deadly strychnine, and the Veils seem to have ingested just enough to hurt--behind the alluring melody and lush instrumentation of each song here, there's an unmistakable menace seeping through. The shadow of Echo and the Bunnymen looms large (the title track could have been a "Killing Moon" b-side), and more than a trace of the punctuated rhythms of past New Zealand indie notables the Verlaines in the somber and swaggering "Jesus for the Jugular." The enhanced disc also contains a video for "Advice for Young Mothers to Be", which might cause concern at Child Protective Services if it weren't so amusing. --Ben Heege« less
"It looks an ugly world out there" moans Veils leader Finn Andrews as the New Zealand quintet opens their sophomore album Nux Vomica, and the outlook doesn't get much sunnier as the veil is lifted to reveal eleven theatrical and contradictory tracks. Nux Vomica is the Latin name for a poison tree of South East Asia, source of deadly strychnine, and the Veils seem to have ingested just enough to hurt--behind the alluring melody and lush instrumentation of each song here, there's an unmistakable menace seeping through. The shadow of Echo and the Bunnymen looms large (the title track could have been a "Killing Moon" b-side), and more than a trace of the punctuated rhythms of past New Zealand indie notables the Verlaines in the somber and swaggering "Jesus for the Jugular." The enhanced disc also contains a video for "Advice for Young Mothers to Be", which might cause concern at Child Protective Services if it weren't so amusing. --Ben Heege
"The Veils are doing a pretty good job of obscuring the lines between genres -- is their second album: A. classic metal, B. Britpop, or C. wild weird indiepop?
Answer: D, all of the above. This New Zealand band has a new lineup and a new sound, not to mention the kind of renewed energy that bands rarely have on their sophomore album. And in "Nux Vomica" they tear through different musical genres, with brilliantly raw results.
"It looks an ugly world out there/Of girl-guides and disease and war/I love my little velvet bed/I never want to leave it anymore," howls Finn Andrews in the opening song. "All my fears will come to me in dreams/Maybe the end ain't as far as it seems/Not yet revived but not yet mourned/Not quite denied just not yet born..."
The song he's singing changes several times as it plays -- it starts off as a some of folksy ballad, but them blooms out into an eerie synthy hard-rocker, and then into as sort of piano-edged metal. And over it all, he's wailing, "I TRIIIIIIIIIIED.... I TRIIIIIIED..." By the end of it, I was dizzy.
Things don't get any less colourful with the songs that follow. Each one seems to give a new spin on indie-rock -- flavoured with calliope, soulfully edged with soaring voices, ominous and distorted, smashing alt-rock, twinkly hard-rockers. They even work in a ballad, "Under The Folding branches," which is an exquisite little shimmer of strings and piano.
The Veiils are apparently trying to wring every last drop of inspiration from their music -- they smush classic indie-rock, moments of hard-rock and metal, with driving Britpop edges. And it all serves as the frame for Andrews' songs of uncertainty and sorrow.
The music is a swirl of hard-edged guitar and bass, and sometimes they explode into eruptions of pure hard rock. But the raw instrumentals are laced with some tinkly piano and shimmering keyboard, and Lou Reed collaborator Jane Scarpontoni weaves in some beautiful string arrangements as well. Some songs are catchy, some are fast-paced, but all of them are wonderfully layered.
But they all have a feeling of mild sadness and confusion, and that gets reflected in the songs as well. Andrews seems to be asking "what's the point? What's ahead of us?", and reflecting on the decay of the world. And he sings it in a sort of Robert Plant manner, howling with devastating power -- but he can also switch to the bittersweet murmur of a ballad.
Good thing the Veils changed their lineup and sound, because "Nux Vomica" is a painful, exquisite rock album that deserves to be heard. Definitely one of the best of 2007 thus far."
Wild and lovely
Jennifer Barger | Falls Church, VA USA | 04/24/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Is this a Brit pop band? A New Zealand heavy metal stomp outfit? The latest chamber rock wunderkind in the mold of the Arcade Fire and Okkervil River? The Veils are all these things, and a bit more. The Kiwi lead singer, who sounds like a mix of Robert Plant and the dude who fronts the Violent Femmes (really, stay with me here), growls and emotes over piano, high-hat heavy drums and aggressive guitar. But how did these guys get so adept at pop, anthems, what sounds like American southern rock boogies and heart-wrenching love ballads? America hasn't heard of these guys, but when this CD comes out in April, I trust they will...the Veils are, to quote Hank Williams, Sr., "wild and blue.""
Beautifully melodic, though the words don't always match the
Sam Kigelman | 06/20/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'd first reviewed this CD for the college radio station, and since then the music's been on my mind. It's rare that a voice comes along that seemingly flows through the air smoother than a river over rocks. The power of the singer's voice is enough to jerk me out of everyday life and into whatever wonder this band is able to create with their music.
The third song, Advice for Young Mothers to be, makes me weep every time I hear it. The reason for this is the words go along with the melody, unlike half the songs on the CD, and the song touches on a subject male singers rarely touch on - pregnancy.
The song does it effectively, not targeting people like a lot of modern music seems to, but simply putting the spotlight on young pregnant women, trying to cheer them on and enter their shoes.
The harmonics of this song are very easy to follow, and one's mind trails along with the music for every note of it. "Bloody marvelous."
These guys deserve much more spotlight than they've been given. Nice freaking job!"
Here to Stay
Derek Weiler | New York | 06/27/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this album and took it along on my iPod this summer and hardly listened to it. Now I'm back in New York, and I can't live without it. Just saw his acoustic cover of Bruce Springsteen's "State Trooper" on YouTube, and finally understood."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1
