Review: Veronica Falls - Waiting for Something to Happen

Originally published on www.soundblab.com

London-based indie-pop quartet Veronica Falls return with Waiting for Something to Happen, the follow-up to their self-titled 2011 debut album. The 13 track album, produced by Rory Attwell, who has also produced work by The Vaccines, tells the story of someone slowly coming to terms with the process of growing up and learning to face adult responsibility.

The album itself is not what I was expecting. For some reason, I had it embedded in my head that this band was going to sound like some ear-puncturing second-rate group who should never have released an album. However, this couldn't be any further from the truth, as the group blend melancholic lyrics and themes into ethereal and happy, ghostly music to create something which hasn't been heard in a while.

I say this because the band appears to have drawn on 1960s, hippie influences and combined it with inspirations from a number of 90s indie-pop bands. In a way, they kind of reminded me a little of Echobelly crossed with the more recent The Long Blondes. They aren't quite as feisty as The Long Blondes but you can definitely hear the influences.

What the group are particularly good at is harmonies and the blending of their vocals. The fact that you could hear both female and male vocals, without one drowning out the other, reminded me a little of The xx, although otherwise their music couldn't be more different. When it comes to the actual songs, 'Broken Toy' stands out as does 'Everybody's Changing' with its uplifting sound, telling the story of growing up but wanting to stay young.

However, this is as far as you get with saying which songs you like, as they all kind of sound the same and blend into one. This is a bad thing, as you can enjoy dancing around to them, but as they do sound similar there is the problem of tuning out at times. Overall, this is a great second album for any band and it would be great to see them get more attention. Yet, with no standout track, it's a shame to say I feel this unusual and new work will sadly go unnoticed.

Review - The XX - Coexist

Originally posted on www.soundblab.com

After three years of waiting The xx return with the follow-up to their Mercury Prize winning self-titled debut album, and I must say it's definitely worth the wait. I saw the group at Bestival two years ago, albeit outside the big top tent as I didn't get there soon enough, but the atmosphere was electric anyway. I can honestly say that I was extremely excited about this release and I wasn't disappointed. You won't be either.

Coexist automatically hooks you with that distinct sound of soft, haunting vocals coupled to the atmospheric, moody, slightly depressed, chilling sounds, familiar from the first album. However, while you may think this album night sound a bit samey-same, you would be wrong as they manage to make the music sound fresh and new, even though it's really not.

Coexist has a number of great tracks, with first single 'Angles' acting as brilliant alternative love song and 'Chained' a brilliant melancholy tale of troubled love. But the stand out track on the album for me is definitely 'Sunset' with its excellent chilled-out sound and brilliant lyrics demonstrating what happens after relationships when you stop talking to an ex, making it sad but relatable to most people in a way that a typical top 40 break-up song just isn't. This should definitely have been the lead track. Less stellar parts of the album include 'Our Song' and 'Swept Away', both of which just didn't reach the standard of the other nine songs and sound a bit bland. However, when the rest of the album is so goo this can be forgiven.

This really isn't an album which you'd want to listen to when you're depressed. If you're a fan of The xx then you probably know this already. After listening to the album it seems to be about lost or troubled loved, and when this is brought together with those haunting sounds and sad vocals it really hits you, and works on so many levels.

This is a brilliantly sad, depressing, minimalistic and melancholy album that will have you hooked from the very beginning. If you ever get the chance to see them live then do so, because whereas this may sound great on record I can guarantee it will sound even better live.