Veronica Falls eponymous debut full-length is not only the best album on Slumberland Records this year, but the best pop album of its kind on any label.
Veronica Falls play reverb-drenched noise pop, often at a brisk pace. What sets them apart from like-minded bands is a unique tone and emotional outlook, and a perfect blend of female lead and male background vocals. The funereal overtones help set the band apart but their lyrics can be a little too gothic, even a bit overbearing at times. They are at their best lyrically when they keep things simple, ambiguous and not too dramatic, such as on the album’s stand out “Stephen.”
“Found Love in a Graveyard” kicks off the album with an appropriately gloomy, gothic-tinged mood that informs most of the rest of the album. The song is dark and moody, but also catchy as hell. This one is going on my Halloween mix.
“Right Side of my Brain” is ramshackle noise pop at a blistering, nearly Wedding Present pace. As the track flies by Roxanne Clifford and James Hoare’s vocals and the song’s general catchiness help the album really start to blast off, though things slow down a bit on the next track.
“The Fountain” is a relatively weak song. It’s certainly not one of the ones that immediately caught my attention, and the lyrics are a bit hard to get past at times. That being said, the song’s dramtic and chilling mood are striking when taken alone and this, in addition to the vocal interplay, help redeem the song.
Veronica Falls really start to hit their stride with “Misery,” a thoroughly Bats-like song with a just-right melancholic tinge. Instrumentally, the song is something of a dead-ringer for that band’s classic “Block of Wood,” but the brilliant female lead, male background vocal setting is a welcome reversal of that band’s vocal dynamic. Lyrically, the song is one of the least invasive on the album. The lyrics fit the tone of the song; wistfully morose and evocative, evocative rather than explicit. The vocal round at the end of the song is one of the most unexpected and unique moments on the album.
The hot streak continues with “Bad Feeling,” and returns things to a frenetic pace. “Bad Feeling” storms by with one of the most hauntingly catchy melodies on the album. It is also a very well-structured song, with an absolutely gorgeous “ooh” and “aah” bridge before the last chorus that is one of the most strikingly lovely moments Veronica Falls conjures on the album.
“Stephen” is the album’s highlight, a song so catchy it had me singing along the first time I heard it. They keep the lyrics simple and ambiguous, which suits the song perfectly. The band also changes things up towards the end of the song, with Roxanne Clifford and James Hoare trading roles in a truly inspired moment. In addition to its utter catchiness, this song demonstrates the band’s brilliant vocal interplay as well as just about any other song on the album, with terrific hooks in both parts.
“Beachy Head” is fast and fierce, perhaps the noisiest track on the album. Patrick Doyle’s simple but propulsive drums hold the song together. The reverb and surf-inspired lead guitar line may call to mind the beach, but the song also has something of a dark undercurrent.
“All Eyes on You” wasn’t one of the songs that immediately caught my attention, but that’s not to say it’s a bad song by any means. Though it can seem indistinctive next to the album’s highlights, the blend of vocals is particularly entrancing on the song and make it a track that grows on the listener with repeated plays.
“The Box” features a shoegaze-inspired intro that leads to chiming, clean guitars and a rolling bass part over a very pretty upper-register melody. It’s a short, pleasant song that stays just long enough to make an impression.
Things slip just a little bit on the next track, “Wedding Day,” one of the more lyrically invasive songs. Ultimately, the song is still catchy enough that it doesn’t really matter much. It also sports interesting tempo changes and a tasteful lead guitar line. It helps that the song doesn’t outstay its welcome, clocking in under two minutes.
“Veronica Falls” is a lovely, (relatively) downtempo song. The slowed-down tempo really showcases the vocal interplay between Roxanne Clifford and James Hoare’s vocal parts. There really isn’t another track on the album that sounds anything like it, it’s a strikingly beautiful and evocatively somber song.
Veronica Falls cap off their brilliant debut with “Come on Over,” the most epic song on the album in both length and scope, and the one that the band chose for a video. It’s also the song where Veronica Falls rocks out the most, complete with a pretty kick-ass “Hit it!” from Roxanne Clifford. The song features tempo changes, great guitar parts and the by now expected awe-inspiring vocal interplay. “Come on Over” also features a bittersweet autumnal tinge that really helps put it over the top.
If there’s a flaw with ‘Veronica Falls’ it might be the sequencing. It’s generally not a good idea to place three of your best songs in the 4-6 range on a 12 song album, or to place one of your weakest tracks third. It’s not really a problem though because while not all of the songs live up to the highlights, there also isn’t a bad song on the album. Any missteps are forgotten by the time the album’s closer pounds its way into your skull. Unexpected moments, like the conclusion of “Misery,” or the intro to “The Box” help mix things up, while the band maintains a cohesion throughout the album. When “Come on Over” ends, it’s hard to not want to listen to the whole thing over again. Make no mistake, this album is addictive.
Veronica Falls – Come On Over from Army Of Kids on Vimeo.
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Erik Oster
Erik Oster is an Assistant Editor at The Faster Times and a writer, editor and musician from Fairfield County, Connecticut. After graduating Goucher College in 2008 with a degree in creative writing, he was co-founder and Editor-in Chief of a literary magazine called ...
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