epressing realization while listening to The Runaway Found #1: I’ve been trying to figure just which haggard, note-holding vocal precedent Veils leader Finn Andrews (please tell me his name is really Andrew Finn) resembles. Chris Martin? Richard Ashcroft? Brett Anderson? Thom Yorke? Axl Rose? Janis Joplin? Greg Dulli? James Brown?

Depressing realization while listening to The Runaway Found #2: “That I don’t want to live in your side / Though the rose is vermillion / And I find it so hard to survive / Without when within you / My sweet Lavinia / My sweet Lavinia”. I am actually attempting to parse and ponder this shit.

Depressing realization while listening to The Runaway Found #3: The Veils aren’t a bad band. They’re anonymous, yes, but not without craft or polish. The guitars ring out with the proper amount of echo and sustain and drummer Ben Woolacott makes sure the tracks never get unconscionably drag-ass. Doves and Dog Man Star fans intrigued by Matthew Ollivier and Bernard Butler’s production credits will not be particularly disappointed. This is depressing because it’s much easier to write about the truly horrendous. It isn’t a flat-out failure; being the band’s debut rather than Andrews’ second post-breakup solo effort, The Runaway Found doesn’t blatantly lack inspiration or purpose.

Depressing realization while listening to The Runaway Found #4: The purpose here is for record labels to further hasten the death of a sound by pushing any band who can pull of what little is required to fill some theatres, satisfy some swoony Anglos & anglophiles looking for a slightly more pastoral take on Urban Hymns or whatever. They’re a perfect opening band: professional and sufficiently appealing on a sonic level without risking upstaging the headliner with any distinct personality or emotional resonance. They put the audience in the mood for a more potent brand of the sound they came for. They warm up.

Depressing realization while listening to The Runaway Found #5: I’ve listened to this album repeatedly, making sure I wasn’t missing something. All of this was obvious after getting through “Lavinia” for the first time.

Depressing realization while listening to The Runaway Found #6: I just found out “Lavinia” is the single. (Actually this a lie—I’m listening to Cat Power right now)