Review: The Veils "Sun Gangs"

Last week I was tapped to write a review of The Veils new LP, "Sun Gangs." It was a most pleasant surprise. This was my review.

Is the mark of a great album one that moves you from song to song, or one that freezes you in place, making you want for it over and over. This was my first thought as I put on “Sun Gangs,” the new LP from The Veils. This is because the lead track, “Sit Down by the Fire,” completely sucked me into an album that I never expected from Finn Andrews. And I was compelled to replay the song at least three times before forcing myself to move on to the rest of the album. I have always liked The Veils, but from afar. Their music has always seemed somewhat inaccessible to me. That is, until now.

What Finn Andrews has done with “Sun Gangs” is invite you into his life. He shares with you his deepest passions and darkest moments through rich composition of keys, strings and percussion. It will take you on a ride from the forlorn (Scarecrow), to the reflective (The House She Lived In,) to the disruptive (Killed by the Boom.) The album runs the gamut of human emotion in 10 songs. There is no mood you can be in where a song from Sun Gangs will not fit. It will reach into your gut and tinker with your heart and soul and mind. In short, it’s an accomplishment. With “Sun Gangs,” Finn will make you feel, not simply on the surface, but deep within.

So, is the mark of a good album one that carries you for a journey on its back, or freezes you in place. In the case of The Veils “Sun Gangs,” it doesn’t matter. The album accomplishes both. And extraordinarily well.

Begin Again - Sun Gangs
Three Sisters - Sun Gangs
Under the Folding Branches - Nux Vomica
Vicious Traditions - The Runaway Found

Visit friend Music is Art for a smashing interview with Finn
The Veils on MySpace
Purchase "Sun Gangs"