Veil Veil Vanish – Change in the Neon Light

Veil Veil Vanish subscribe to that dark brand of indie rock pioneered by 80’s synth pop staples Depeche Mode, currently carried on today by groups like White Lies and The Killers.  Their debut full length, Change In The Neon Light, fits well along side their peers, adhering to the conventions that have proven themselves resistant to emerging trends over the past thirty years.

For a synth rock act Veil Veil Vanish isn’t particularly unique, but rather remarkably consistent.  The album generally builds itself around a very danceable mid-tempo beat with an almost shoegaze consciousness.   Vocalist Keven Tecon propels the swirling synth beats onward with a somewhat less mechanical inflection and higher pitch than most of his influences.  The basic formula finds the band transitioning back and forth between Tecon’s gloomy voice and a backdrop of pulsating chords and frequent pedal work.  Tracks like “Change In The Neon Light” and “Exile City” exemplify the basic interplay between instrumentation and vocals with sweeping spoken choruses and spacious guitar work.

“Anthem For A Doomed Youth” synthesizes the combination most successfully, standing as a clear album highlight.  The sense of buildup generated by the gradual layering of bassist Amy Rosenoff’s thick crunch with guitarist Cameron Ray’s catchy opening loops makes for the perfect intro before some crisp acoustic work takes hold.  A backdrop of reoccurring “oohs” elevates the track further, achieving a grand sense of scale.

However, what the album gains in scale, it forfeits in individuality.  After the first few highlights, tracks blur together.  Unlike contemporaries White Lies, lyrics aren’t Veil Veil Vanish’s strongest department.  While the content contains similarly dark themes, they lack an essential playfulness – preventing even the high points from planting themselves firmly in memory.

Veil Veil Vanish demonstrates a clear understanding of album continuity essential for their genre, and come away with nine well-constructed, atmospheric tracks.  For their next outing the young upstarts would well be advised at narrowing their focus to the individual level.  But in the mean time Change In The Neon Light’s solid foundation should find a warm welcome in fans of dark synth pop.