The Veils – The Runaway Found

Like the new kid at school eager to make an impression, The Veils over-indulge a bit in the atmospheric noodling that’s proven so successful for classmates like Coldplay and Travis. But their debut, The Runaway Found, is a consistently compelling listen nonetheless, leaving you ultimately glad they showed up for class. At their sound’s core is the plaintive vocal delivery of 19-year-old frontman Finn Andrews—a mixture of heart-on-sleeve vulnerability and insouciant cynicism. As maddening a mix as that should be, it works quite nicely with the group’s material. Be it the Phil Spector-esque pomp and pop of “Guiding Light” or the dreamy smoke of “Talk Down the Girl,” one can’t help but be drawn in by the band’s utter chutzpah. So while a few tunes appear to exist solely for the sake of histrionic crescendo, The Veils are a promising candidate for an even stronger sophomore effort.