A double album.
15 tracks.
7 years in the making.
My ears cannot believe what they are hearing.
The Veils have a brand new album …And Out Of The Void Came Love.
I have to thank David Lynch for putting The Veils onto my radar as I’ve been a fan of theirs ever since I watched them in “Part 15” of Twin Peaks.
…And Out Of The Void Came Love follows the acclaimed album Total Depravity and the journey to complete the album was no easy ride but one filled with injury, isolation and new life.
Of the injury, while on tour for his solo project, Finn Andrews broke his wrist on stage but continued to play on, only to further injure himself which he would find out how bad at the end of the tour.
It sounds wild and Jerry Lee Lewis-esque, but it was an absolute fucking nightmare. The scaphoid bone in my wrist had died, which I didn’t know was possible. My sister said that at least it was a really ‘on brand’ injury for me.
Of the isolation, Finn’s recuperation kept him away from touring and at home to heal and the isolation only increased as the pandemic hit.
“I was in a cast and couldn’t use my right hand. I sang the melody lines, then recorded the right hand piano part, then the left hand part. It might have been an interesting, avant-garde process if it wasn’t also just profoundly annoying.”
Of the new life, not only did The Veils need a new label, there was a little one on the way for Finn. While it was clear to Finn that they had a double album on their hands, the arrangement was not clear.
Then my daughter was born, and suddenly the whole record made sense to me. The music was telling a story, and somewhat strangely for The Veils, it seemed to have a happy ending.
…And Out Of The Void Came Love is lush, poetic, and profoundly beautiful. The lyrics and music are at times heart wrenching but more often than not, they are inspiring and filled with hope.
There are moments where Finn’s vocals burn with the cadency similar to David Bowie. I can hear brief echoes of the icon on “No Limit of Stars” when Finn’s voice quivers and shakes with a bold bravado that is captivating.
There is also the fiery passion of David Byrne that pulsates through “Epoch” as Finn confidently swaggers through the song and lyrics with attitude ablaze.
With “Diamonds and Coal”, “Made with Love from Far to Go” and “The Pearl (Part II)”, Finn channels storytelling master Bob Dylan not in just how the lyrics unfold but in the as-a-matter-of-fact-faith way he sings the songs.
Finn says of this on listening to …And Out Of The Void Came Love in two sittings.
Make a coffee or smoke a cigarette but don’t mow the lawn or go to the movies or something, that takes too long.
Whether you listen to …And Out Of The Void Came Love in two sittings or one long glorious sitting, you are in for a journey that will take through the dark and into the light and one that is filled with irresistible grace, charm, and musical delights.
MUST LISTEN SONGS: “Epoch”, “No Limit of Stars”, “Between the Ocean and the Storm”, “Cradle Song”, “Bullfighter (Hand of God)”
FAVOURITE SONGS: “Epoch”, “Bullfighter (Hand of God)”
…And Out Of The Void Came Love is out March 3rd, Pre-order New Zealand and Rest of the World
