22 Dec 2024
The Veils - Sun Gangs Reviews
07 May 2009 // A review by lukefitzmaurice
A word of warning – on the whole, Sun Gangs seems pretty slow. And to be fair, it’s true that the album contains one or two tracks that are indisputably subdued, title track Sun Gangs being one that immediately springs to mind. When I first heard the album, I was tempted to judge the whole thing on the perceived weaknesses that this track, and others such as It Hits Deep and Larkspur, created. BUT, and believe me this is a big but, once I listened to the album a few more times through, I began to change my mind. I began to warm to the rich, melancholic voice of lead singer Finn Andrews, and now I really quite like the album.
I think what put me off the album at first was the fact that I couldn’t help but be struck by the haunting quality of Finn Andrew’s voice. Don’t get me wrong, he really is a talented singer/songwriter, but because the vocals are so dominant in almost every track, it led me as a listener to dwell on them just a little too much. As a result of this, the album began to feel a little one dimensional. It seemed to me as though The Veils were unable to produce anything more than a series of vocally driven ballads, an act that was wearing thin by the time I had listened to the album twice through.
However, by the time I had listened to the album a few more times through, these perceptions had begun to change. I couldn’t figure out what it was at first, but I think it boils down to the fact that Sun Gangs is a very layered album. So while all at first all I heard were the vocals, as I listened to the album more I began to appreciate it on different levels. I began to enjoy alt rock/pop tracks such as Sit Down By The Fire and The Letter, I found myself cheered up by the refreshingly light-hearted The House She Lived In, and I simply fell in love the penultimate track on the record, Larkspur. The last track in particular, an eight minute long beast of a song driven by an eerie guitar riff and a fantastic beat, really grew on me as I listened to it more and more, and the fact that the band were able to sustain the song for its entire length its an impressive feat in itself.
The album continued to get better and better as I listened to it more and more. It certainly wasn’t perfect, even after listening to it multiple times I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy Killed By The Boom, but on the whole, I now really rate the album. So if you haven’t bought it already, I would definitely recommend giving it a listen. If you have bought it already but was a little disappointed, maybe it wouldn't hurt to give it at least one last chance. Who knows, you might be pleasantly surprised at how much it grows on you.
A word of warning – on the whole, Sun Gangs seems pretty slow. And to be fair, it’s true that the album contains one or two tracks that are indisputably subdued, title track Sun Gangs being one that immediately springs to mind. When I first heard the album, I was tempted to judge the whole thing on the perceived weaknesses that this track, and others such as It Hits Deep and Larkspur, created. BUT, and believe me this is a big but, once I listened to the album a few more times through, I began to change my mind. I began to warm to the rich, melancholic voice of lead singer Finn Andrews, and now I really quite like the album.I think what put me off the album at first was the fact that I couldn’t help but be struck by the haunting quality of Finn Andrew’s voice. Don’t get me wrong, he really is a talented singer/songwriter, but because the vocals are so dominant in almost every track, it led me as a listener to dwell on them just a little too much. As a result of this, the album began to feel a little one dimensional. It seemed to me as though The Veils were unable to produce anything more than a series of vocally driven ballads, an act that was wearing thin by the time I had listened to the album twice through.
However, by the time I had listened to the album a few more times through, these perceptions had begun to change. I couldn’t figure out what it was at first, but I think it boils down to the fact that Sun Gangs is a very layered album. So while all at first all I heard were the vocals, as I listened to the album more I began to appreciate it on different levels. I began to enjoy alt rock/pop tracks such as Sit Down By The Fire and The Letter, I found myself cheered up by the refreshingly light-hearted The House She Lived In, and I simply fell in love the penultimate track on the record, Larkspur. The last track in particular, an eight minute long beast of a song driven by an eerie guitar riff and a fantastic beat, really grew on me as I listened to it more and more, and the fact that the band were able to sustain the song for its entire length its an impressive feat in itself.
The album continued to get better and better as I listened to it more and more. It certainly wasn’t perfect, even after listening to it multiple times I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy Killed By The Boom, but on the whole, I now really rate the album. So if you haven’t bought it already, I would definitely recommend giving it a listen. If you have bought it already but was a little disappointed, maybe it wouldn't hurt to give it at least one last chance. Who knows, you might be pleasantly surprised at how much it grows on you.
About The Veils
The Veils have toured consistently throughout their over twenty-year history and garnered a formidable reputation as one of the world’s great live bands. As well as a fruitful collaboration with Run the Jewels’ El-P for their 2016 album Total Depravity, they have also been praised by film directors Paolo Sorrentino, Tim Burton and David Lynch who have all used their music on their soundtracks.
Finn now lives in Aotearoa New Zealand with his partner and daughter.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for The Veils
Releases
Other Reviews By lukefitzmaurice
Urbantramper - Urban Tramper - 'Rise & Ride Toward' album review
05 Dec 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
Ok, I’ll admit, before I listened to this album, I had never really heard of Urban Tramper. Their name rang vague bells in the back of my mind, perhaps I’d heard snippets on the radio or seen a poster in the street somewhere, but if you’d played me one of their older songs I probably wouldn’t have recognised it.
Read More...
Diesel Phoenix - 'Here's Something We Prepared Earlier' album review
05 Dec 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
'Here’s Something We Prepared Earlier' is the new album from Auckland five-piece Diesel Phoenix, a hard hitting record which throws together rock, punk, pop, and even a little bit of metal. The album opens with the eerie instrumental track 'Willard’s Run', a song which provides a haunting introduction to the rest of the album.
Read More...
Eru Dangerspiel - Great News For The Modern Man album review
21 Aug 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
With any experiment, there are always going to be some things that work out great, and others that don’t really go down so well. Therefore, with any experimental album, the same is bound to happen.
Read More...
Cairo Knife Fight - Iron album review
01 Aug 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
When I first listened to this album I immediately got the impression of movement. The first track definitely felt like it was driving towards… well… something, I wasn’t quite sure what at that stage.
Read More...
Good Laika - Followed by a Trail of Sparks review
30 Jul 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
The press release that came with this album read, “When listening to Good Laika’s sophomore album Followed by a Trail of Sparks, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled across some lost soul’s travel diary.” It was an interesting introduction to an album, so I sat with eager anticipation as I played it through for the first time.
Read More...
Fat Freddy's Drop - Dr Boondigga and the Big BW
11 Jun 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
I fell in love with this album about five and a half minutes into track six. Up until that point I was reasonably impressed with the album, but I felt like Fat Freddy’s Drop hadn’t quite captured the vibe that made their first album so immensely successful.
Read More...
Sola Rosa - Get It Together review
11 Apr 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
There is something irresistibly funky about this album, and it hits you within seconds of pressing play. The opening track, The Ace of Space, has a kind of Ocean’s Eleven quality to it, and as I listened to the rest of the album I never really shook the feeling of being engrossed within a Las Vegas casino heist.
Read More...
The Mint Chicks - Screens Review
31 Mar 2009 // by lukefitzmaurice
First things first, DO NOT judge this album the first time you listen to it. That’s what I was tempted to do, because in all honesty, after listening to Screens once through I was a little disappointed.
Read More...
Most Viewed Artists
Latest Galleries
NZ Top 10 Singles
- APT.
ROSÉ And Bruno Mars - DIE WITH A SMILE
Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars - BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Billie Eilish - TASTE
Sabrina Carpenter - I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
Gracie Abrams - ESPRESSO
Sabrina Carpenter - SAILOR SONG
Gigi Perez - LOSE CONTROL
Teddy Swims - A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
Shaboozey - GOOD LUCK, BABE!
Chappell Roan
More Content on muzic.net.nz
Google Site Search
Custom Search
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report A Problem
