The Veils is an indie/rock band fronted by English/New Zealand singer songwriter Finn Andrews.
The band`s eighth long player ‘Fragile World’ is released this month and its title is both a reflection of the present moment, a time in which many institutions appear to be crumbling before our eyes and a metaphor for the act of creation itself. The process of making music, Andrews notes, is a delicate and fragile undertaking where thousands of small decisions gradually coalesce into a finished whole.
The album opens with `Aurora` whose title refers to a natural light display in Earth’s sky, primarily seen in high-latitude regions and the singer has shared that “the day we made it, there was a huge geomagnetic storm over parts of New Zealand, and the pictures of the aurora that followed were in all the papers.” It opens with piano and vocals before a stroked drum, bass and shimmering guitar join and create an almost musical mirror of an aurora as the number sparkles. Lyrically it seems to reflect on a relationship whose status seems uncertain. There`s a similar feel to the expansive `High Hopes` which almost shimmers at times and enjoys harmonies that allow the track to have an almost gospel like ambience. A deep and moving meditation on life and love.
`Lungs` is a little faster paced and contemplates on the demanding pace of life and looking to find somewhere to maybe take time to reflect on what it all means. The piano driven `Are You Awake Tonight?` is a kind of skewed ballad where the narrator appears to be looking for another chance in a relationship that they feel is worth saving.
A pulsing beat akin to a metronome sets the pace on `New Day` an uplifting offering that maybe hints at an opportunity for a fresh start, renewed perspective, and gratitude. About `Little White Bird (Fragile World)` frontman Finn Andrews says is a song so simple it’s basically a nursery rhyme. The whole thing was put together in the studio, very much on the fly. It’s an interesting collision of styles – kinda like Nina Simone and Arthur Russell having a little dance. A number that has a quite hypnotic sense about it.
`The Widening Dark` appears as if it will awaken or bloom but becomes much more absorbed, a poetic echo on simple observations that seem to draw far greater significance to our existence, a fairly profound composition. A backward spooling tape leads us into `My Foolish Heart` which is a reflective but wonderfully engaging musing on the naivety or gullibility of the narrators approach to love and romance that will more than likely ensure a life lived alone.
`These Are The Days` is an expansive rumination and contemplation on life which comes from lived experiences gained from a maturity of age. The final cut `In This Heart` is a stripped back pensive reverie on lost love.
As I conveyed on the Veils release `Asphodels` from last year, `Fragile World` is another submission that is overflowing with poetic, expressive and moving lyrical content and music which is both graceful and elegant although the subject matter is immersed in existential themes.
Another release from The Veils that will touch your body, mind, spirit, and soul.
Rating 9/10
