Veronica Falls have comfortably embraced their position amidst the next crop of aspiring indie-pop darlings, with great hype inextricably tied to their self-titled debut album. You’d be forgiven for the assumption that they hail from a Californian coastline – such is their inclination towards the dreamy, detached surf-rock of Tennis and Dum Dum Girls, to cite but two examples. The London-based group have done remarkably well to capture a definitive scene and climate through their craft.
These things considered, Veronica Falls really do play up to a kind of indie-pop caricature, checking off the necessary elements to complete their archetypal approach. There’s the buoyant tambourine-slapping, a slew of jangly guitars and an arsenal of mean melodies in the mix. The surprisingly chipper Bad Feeling stands out for its more precise execution of the band’s infectious pop. Meanwhile, the fierce sandstorm roar of Beachy Head‘s brooding choir defines one of the album’s grittier portions.
It’s only unfortunate that each track is ultimately tarred with the same brush, resigning later material to an indistinguishable void. The band’s unrelenting reliance upon their tried and true hallmarks really does them a disservice, the lack of diversity an obvious downfall here. Overall, Veronica Falls profess a pleasant, clean-cut brand of pop, though one feels their next move will prove far more interesting.
Best Track: Bad Feeling
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Only In Dreams DUM DUM GIRLS, Cape Dory TENNIS
In A Word: Hip
