The Veils - 'The Runaway Found' (Rough Trade)
3/5
By: Matt Tomiak
The Byronic, narcotic-soaked decadence of early Suede pervades this album, the first from young NZ/Londoners The Veils. This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, however, given that one Bernard Butler produced almost half of 'The Runaway Found'; and maybe it's just coincidence, but, in name alone, opener 'The Wild Son' harks back to the days of Butler playing foppish foil to Mr Anderson (cf. Brett and the boys' 1994 hit 'The Wild Ones')...
Goodness, though - it continues. The first few seconds of 'Guiding Light', with its thunderous drums and mercurial guitars, starts off sounding all the world like the theatrical opening to 'So Young'. And the svelte, Bowie-esque 'The Valley of New Orleans' continues to enhance the connections.
But that's not to say that this is mere pastiche. Frontman Finn Andrew's style veers from a delicate James Walsh tremor to a full-on Ben Cooper Temple Clause rasp. 'The Tide That Left And Never Came Back', meanwhile, is of a pop hue more akin to labelmates The Strokes' '12.51', whilst 'The Leavers' Dance' resembles the kid brother of 'With Or Without You', always lavish, seldom stale.
Yet, in spite of a couple of indifferent tracks ('Vicious Traders', 'Talk Down The Girl'), and the overriding notion of influence, The Veils have mustered an assured debut here - and it's certainly an encouragement to behold music infused with a bit of glamour and mystique once again.
Artists in this article: The Veils
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