The Veils
Time Stays, We Go

And here we have the Veils again. The band led by Finn Andrews (after numerous lineup changes occurring at an alarming frequency) seems to have found peace and balance. Needless to say, this new album perfectly reflects the band's situation: balance, harmony, homogeneity.

Before moving on to the CD biopsy, I would like to perform a calibration on the criteria you will use to analyze the album. In simple terms: critics sometimes get it wrong. "Time Stays, We Go" was well-received, almost as much as the debut "The Runaway Found." Let me say and emphasize: it is a great piece of work, very valid overall. But it is not the best work, the culmination of a journey, the album of "finally, they did something good." Get it out of your head. It is the result of musical evolution, a communion of intents, a departure from the past, with more "custom" solutions, more polished and particular atmospheres. Period. Nothing more than "Nux Vomica" (the worst album according to the writer, the best album in my opinion). Maybe better than "Sun Gangs," yes. But simply because "Sun Gangs" is sometimes really boring. But that's another story. Let's move on to the album.

Worthily anticipated by the single (already available for free download) "Through the Deep, Dark Wood," which opens the dances. A great appetizer, it whets the appetite with that vaguely charming verse and that chorus that demands attention. Things become interesting when "Train with No Name" starts. Captivating rhythmic choices, captivating "arpeggio" guitar solutions, captivating vocal line. In short, it's a captivating piece. Actually, it's really beautiful. Get on board and let the wind ruffle your hair. "Candy Apple Red" is the ugly piece that you find (unfortunately) in almost every album. But since that sly fox, Finn, knows more tricks than the devil, he skillfully sets it between two gems: "Train with No Name," precisely, and "Dancing with the Tornado." The only "Nux Vomica" episode, reminding us of the past, where Andrews often risked his vocal cords. The present instead shows us that his voice has become more educated, preferring functionality to ardor. Here is the "customization" I was talking about. "The Pearl" will flow smoothly, you won't even notice its gentle melody. When "Sign of Your Love" arrives, you'll definitely notice it. Majestic. Martial. Let's say it, the best track on the album. Impossible not to follow the lyrics, impossible not to mark the time with any part of your body. Listen to believe. "Turn from the Rain" and "Birds" suffer significantly from the consecutio due to "Sign of Your Love," revealing themselves as somewhat weak overall. "Another Night on Earth" may seem quite ordinary, with a piano that oozes sugar and a chorus (needless to say) from a world of candied fruit (it's a bit the "A Birthday Present" of the album), but it's not. It's well-placed within the setlist, and all things considered, it’s not bad. It closes with "Out from the Valleys & Into the Stars," a classic Veils-style farewell, relaxing, subdued, with an intriguing final twist.

I strongly recommend listening, but I advise you to keep in mind what I said at the beginning. There is a change underway in the current music of the Veils, even though you might hardly notice it if you're not paying close attention. But be careful not to interpret it wrongly by misunderstanding the past. Those who loved them will love them again, those who hated them will hate them again, those who don't know them well better not try to understand them. I love them and say: "Welcome back. I missed you".