Veronica Falls

The late John Peel would have liked Veronica Falls and their tuneful and catchy debut CD - for those that remember bands that influence this production include Salad, The Pixies and The Seekers amongst others. To my mind with around 40 years of listening to mainly Indie music this is one of the most catchy and addictive CD's that I've listened to for a long time! Turn up the volume on the car stereo and just keep driving!

There's some nice tracks on this cd. It's very upbeat and I love the strong consistent beat and rhythm. It's the type of cd that wires me up and lifts my spirits. There's also a lovely track called STEPHEN which reminds me of my very dear and comical nephew STEVEN, who sadly died at aged 22 but he would have loved my playing this to him as a tribute.

This is a nice little album. I bought it on an off chance as it was cheap, this has back fired on me several times recently but this was a good find. Lots of harmonies and a bit gothy but it makes for a nice listen

Came to this album through the new Patience single “White of an Eye” and I’m so glad I found it! The album is brilliant from start to finish - not a bad track on there.

This vinyl is Veronica Falls' first LP, and the product fulfills the expectations. It includes a CD (no case, just a plastic envelope) and a laminated sheet of paper with the details of the recording.

Morbid but certainly not funereal. As some a reviewers have stated their (buried) roots are more the jangling (American) indie rock of the 90's rather than anything current. Every track is good, up-tempo and tuneful. If you are looking for something a bit different and enjoy hearing vocal harmonies like early REM (difference here is that the lead singer is female) I would highly recommend this album. I initially thought that the tracks were too similar for long term enjoyment - but two months later I'm still enjoying listening to it. Maybe it's just me, but even though the lyrics are very dark they make me smile, and think if you only listen to one track, make it Misery.

Imbibing musical heritage is quite a dangerous pastime for some producing, as it does, some thoroughly derivative and forgettable music. Travel with caution would be good advice but the key differential which splits the forgettable from the rather good remains the same, whatever the influences, are the musicians themselves any good, and what are their songs like? Veronica Falls manage to pass the muster on both fronts. Their music owes a massive debt to the chaotic jangle of 80's indie and, to a lesser extent, its 90's antecedents. If someone told you these were old tunes dug out of bedroom and polished up for mass market consumption, some would clearly believe this. The striking difference between the old and the new being how much cleaner the sound is and that, compared with the 80's bands in particular, all the guitars are in tune. As a band, then, Veronica Falls are surprisingly accomplished. The drums are perfect indie clatter but everything else sounds more polished and tighter. Harmonies abound and they are all pleasantly controlled and well sung. The interesting twist is the addtion of a darker lyrical content. The C86 indie (which is the most obvious root of this music's DNA) was a surprisingly optimistic genre - especially considering its making was in the centre of Thatcherite Britain's austerity - but here there is a darker hue to the lyrics. "Beachy Head" and "Found Love In A Graveyard" both good examples of this. Yet the music is busy and, for the most part very breezy. Five years ago it would have been easy to see this kind of thing denting the charts, but now guitars have returned to the alternative corners of the musical firmament. The comforting thing is that the likes of Veronica Falls are making it a very interesting place to be. Some revivalist music (for this definatley could be called this) is almost crippled by the sense of getting the original mood right, Veronica Falls sidestep this and manage to sound like themselves. Say what you like about the roots of the sound, this is still an accomplished debut, and a pretty good record all round.

We recently had the good fortune to see them live - they were superb. Melodic with terrific energy, yet also dark and brooding... not manic depressive but manic depression! The most catchy songs about death and the Beachy Head suicide spot you are likely to hear! Recommended.