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Veronica Falls

@ Servant Jazz Quarters, London, 22 November 2012
3 stars

by Helen Clarke

Veronica Falls

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It's been just over a year since Veronica Falls released their debut album. Having quietly pushed out a handful of singles, including the brilliantly goth-tinged Beachy Head and Fell in Love in a Graveyard, the self titled record was greeted with unexpected warmth. Filed alongside post-C86 bands like Crystal Stilts, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Dum Dum Girls, they managed to do what none of the others had; while not quite breaking through to the mainstream, they gave it a damn good poke. Where music snobs might shudder at the sound of a jangly guitar, their well-polished take on a sound carved by the likes of The Pastels and Shop Assistants stood them on credible ground;they became the indiepop band it was OK to like.

The album took them around the world and the reception continued, but now it's difficult second album time. Waiting for Something to Happen is due for release in February, and they chose tonight's guestlist-only show in a Dalston basement to unveil some of its songs. They play a surprising number of old tracks, chosing to open with Beachy Head. Stephen, Bad Feeling and Wedding Day also get a look in. This might be because they just don't know all of the new songs yet - the lyrics to their new album's opening song, Tell Me, are taped to the floor, and drummer Patrick Doyle, the band's most comfortable performer, delights in telling the tiny audience which songs they've never played before.

So how's the new album sounding? It's business as usual in the Veronica Falls camp. They're still led by Roxanne Clifford's disaffected, bittersweet vocals - a cross between Belly-era Tanya Donelly and Lush's Emma Anderson - and propped up by James Hoare. The new album's title track and single Teenage are stand outs; warmer and even more polished than their previous work. It's the natural successor to their debut, which saw them left with a teeenage goth hangover and dramatic, albeit tongue-in-cheek, themes. This record sees them more grown up, pondering the complexities of life.

One of the reasons they've achieved where others haven't could be down to their neatness. They're a tidy package; well put together, carefully produced, Hoare even looks studious as he hunches over his guitar - they reject the chaotic DIY ethics that so many of their contemporaries embrace. While this obviously appeals to some, it can leave a rather bland taste in the mouth. Tonight was like listening to a record; it's all so well done and professional sounding, it's desperately missing a dollop of passion, an injection of urgency...some bite. It's a feeling intensified when they chose to close with Come on Over; an exhilarating track from their debut that's a frustrating reminder of what they could be if they just chilled out a bit.

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