Reviews
Artist:The Veils Album: Asphodels
Label: V2
Tracks: 9
Website: https://theveils.com/
With fans famously including Tim Burton and the late David Lynch, both of whom have added their songs to soundtracks of their work, you might just get an idea of what The Veils are going to sound like. Their new album, Asphodel, is full of poetry and existentialism, the latter of which is born at least partly out of passing the twentieth anniversary of their debut record. Working again with strong arranger Victoria Kelly, the knowledge and experience of those two decades has been distilled into nine songs full of enchanting beauty.
Those of you with a passing interest in Greek mythology might recognise that the title of the album refers to flowers intrinsically linked to the underworld. It's well named for a record that features imagery of love and death, and there's more than a hint of the gothic and the gospel at play throughout.
It's the arrangements that seem to grab the attention on the first listen; the rich piano keys especially drawing you in, before the strings swirl around and capture you. At times the strings almost duet with Finn Andrews, feeling more like another vocalist than a musical accompaniment. It's so captivating that it takes at least a couple of listens to start fully tuning into, and appreciating, the lyrics.
Andrews describes himself as more influenced by poets like Federico Garcia Lorca, Ted Hughes and Louis MacNeice than he does from traditional songwriters. It's an influence that plays out across the record, with the poetic imagery taking hold especially on repeated listens. This gives it an incredibly intimate feel, and Andrews knows when to let the music soar and when to strip it back to really let the words fly.
When the album plays out with the Dylanesque A Land Beyond, you know that you've been listening to something quite magical. Expressive, evocative and elegant, Asphodels creates such an enticing atmosphere that it's a record you'll find yourself revisiting time and time again.
Adam Jenkins
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