Rating: NNN
When Veronica Falls released their self-titled debut in 2011, they brought their own melancholic pop recipe to a scene already inundated with jangly guitars, boy/girl melodies and songs about unrequited love. On their second album, the goth-pop enthusiasts pick up where they left off.
Songs are effortlessly catchy, upbeat and even, dare I say, sunny. But a close listen to Roxanne Clifford’s lyrics reveals dark themes. “Bury me alive, bury me alive,” she chants on Buried Alive. “I don’t care if people cry.” On the heartbreaking Daniel, she grieves for a distant lover: “Please don’t leave me. I can’t go home without you.”
Indie pop can be predictable – if you like one Slumberland band, there’s a good chance you’ll like them all – but originality isn’t always the most important criterion in music like this. Familiar, nostalgic sounds can please just as much, as they do here.
Top track: My Heart Beats
