The Veils
Nux Vomica

THE REVIEW

Online I found the new album by The Veils and wanted to share this little exclusive with Debaser.
I must say that the recording is reliable and it is the definitive version of the album.

The Veils, for those who don't know them, are a band from the Rough Trade label, formed in London. The singer and composer Finn Andrews is the son of Barry from XTC. End of the pompous biographical news.
The focal point is that Finn has a great voice. Expressive, raw, often almost hysterical. And sometimes he writes beautiful songs. Nux Vomica, with the band in a completely renewed lineup compared to the beautiful debut album "The Runaway Found," is his latest work. The album opens with Not Yet, a decidedly unconvincing and confused opener followed by Calliope!, epic and catchy rock, and Advice for Young Mothers to Be, a pompous mid-tempo ballad, with the bassist's backing vocals truly irritating from my point of view..

At this point, you may wonder why I'm mentioning this band.. For track 4, for instance: Jesus for the Jugular. A piece that seems inspired by Tom Waits, where Finn finally pulls out the guts and the voice. Listen to the heartbreaking finale to believe it. Beautiful, finally, is the arrangement, which also seems to come out of a piece of "Rain Dogs." This is, in my opinion, the most convincing section of the album: it is followed by Pan, already heard rock-blues but compelling, the splendid ballads A Birthday Present and Under the Folding Branches, the pure rage of Nux Vomica.
Rather bland, unfortunately, is the ending; the last two songs aren't convincing, Last Night on Earth, too manipulative, and the still appreciable final ballad House Where We All Live.

In conclusion, the rating would be a 3 and a half, but I give the album a 4 as it has obvious setbacks I want to give an "encouragement rating". Better than the debut? I would say no, but the potential remains and luckily can often be heard...