Veronica Falls – Waiting for Something to Happen

Finding a great album rarely goes to plan. Often you hear a great song only to discover that the album is little more than the great song with nine accompanying b-sides. This is what is known as the ‘Country Pancake Effect’. Occasionally however, things take a smoother course and Plan A works perfectly, and this was definitely the case with Veronica Falls. After hearing ‘The Fountain’ on the Rough Trade Counter Culture Compilation, I rushed to order their latest album with a certain amount of trepidation, fearing the usual disappointment. But lo and behold it’s an absolute cracker. Hurray!

 

You actually get the feeling that Veronica Falls love what they do. It’s a joyous, uncomplicated indie album combining infectious melodies, intoxicating harmonies and a touch of shoe gazing swagger.  This is C86 style indie-pop but injected with Mamas and Papas feel good factor and is the kind of music you should listen to on an expansive, sun-drenched beach rather than some dingy urban bedsit.

Isn’t Veronica a great name too? There are no horrible Veronicas out there. You just can’t be a nasty person and be called Veronica. And following on from this, Veronica Falls is a great name for a band. They were never going to be rubbish with a name that evokes images of a particularly beautiful waterfalls or perhaps catching a lovely Veronica who has fallen from a ladder. Admittedly, this happens rarely. But I live in hope.

 

The songs all do the business, with ‘If you still want me’, ‘Shooting Star’ and ‘So Tired’ all extra-specially agreeable. The pick of the bunch is the mesmerising ‘My Heart Beats’; a flagship piece of blissfully harmonic pop music. All I can hope is that the first album is of a similar quality when I get round to listening to it next year. Heartily recommended.