Album Review: The Veils - Time Stays, We Go
- Written by Danielle Gibson
The Veils are definitely a hard band to define. They like to mix genres that are complete opposites but with singer Finn Andrews' powerful and emotional voice it leaves the band sounding timeless.
After a four year break they are back with their fourth studio album Time Stays, We Go. It is attention grabbing and shows the progression you'd expect them to have made in that time yet still sounds like classic Veils. The first track is ‘Through the Deep, Dark Wood’ which has you pricking up your ears instantly with its vibrating drums. It’s demanding and upbeat; with lyrics like “No I can’t go back!” and all-round catchy. Next we have the quieter ‘Train With No Name’ which gives you a breather after the blazing first track. It’s a word that is being used often these days but this song is very summery. It’s calm and serene but again with Andrews’ strong vocals.
The entirety of this album is a mix of genres, it’s not just upbeat tempos and catchy tunes; the slow summery (that word again) guitar riffs that go from psychedelic to wild western. ‘Candy Red Apple’, ‘Dancing with the Tornado’ and ‘The Pear’ are just some examples. They all capture a common theme within the album which is coming to terms with facing death. Andrews recently said in an interview that ''I think that the concept that we live in a hostile universe where the only certainty is death can either make you leap out of bed in the morning or never want to get out of it again. Currently it's making me want to get up very early indeed.'' The likes of ‘Dancing with the Tomb’ talks about the harsh reality of it all and ‘The Pearl’ is bleak and dreary and leaves your mind in a mess with the clashing tune and vocals.
The album's highlight comes in the form of ‘Turn From The Rain’. Play it on repeat however you want (YouTube, radio, live) it’s catchy from the start with the upbeat guitar and that intensity carries on throughout the song going from the guitar to piano to trumpet. You don’t really notice the changes and it fully showcases the talents of the entire group.
After an entire album of upbeat and catchy tunes you can relax and leave with ‘Out From The Valleys & Into The Stars’. It builds up its intensity and turns into a powerful ballad which grounds your thoughts cultivated by the previous songs and you’re left wondering “What next?”
The Veils know their music and how to play it. The songs are about the mysteries and delights of our world and how you should make the most of what is here. This album is worth the four year wait and won’t leave any Veils fan disappointed.
Time Stays, We Go is out now and available from amazon