The Runaway Found

The history of this album has been punctuated by stress and strain but has culminated in the production of an extraordinary debut opus. Having left their original label due to ‘creative differences’ the Veils headed off with their work-to-date and signed to Rough Trade. There, under a more appreciative regime, they worked hard to form ‘The Runaway Found’. Two years in the making but with every second worth it, The Veils debut is a lush, epic record of crackling pop songs and tender balladry.

With five of the ten tracks already released as singles it would be easy to think that there would be few surprises here and although those tracks do dominate the record the remaining numbers are equally as thrilling. Opener and fifth single ‘Wild Son’ is a dynamic jangly indie hit which is quickly followed by the epic pop of third single ‘Guiding Light’. Tracks three and four, the string laden ballad ‘Lavinia’ and the fuzzed up guitar-led ‘More Heat Than Light’, were also singles and complete the beginning of this album in familiar yet brilliant style.

The second half of the album contains the new songs. ‘The Tide That Left And Never Came Back’ is the choice cut. A thrilling ride of summery guitars, nasal vocals and insistent handclaps it is one of the album highlights. Elsewhere ‘Talk Down The Girl’ and album closer ‘The Nowhere Man’ are slow burning ballads of exquisite tenderness.

Produced in part by Bernard Butler, ‘The Runaway Found’ contains plenty of the trademark tricks that litter his work with McAlmont, the Libertines and Suede. Always able to magnify the pop potential of a tune, Butler’s work on this album is, unsurprisingly, the best stuff here. Tellingly he produced two of the singles, tracks that also open this album to exhilarating effect.

A debut album with a problematic history but a worthwhile end product, ‘The Runaway Found’ is a modern classic.