Album Review: The Verlaines - Untimely Meditations

The Verlaines haven't stood out in the collective consciousness as others from New Zealand's iconic Flying Nun stable, yet they've continued to fight the good fight since their inception in 1981. Led by Graeme Downes, The Verlaines may be a band with a revolving door of musical collaborators, but they maintain their seething, verbose delivery.

Untimely Meditations is their 11^th longplayer, and in many ways nothing has changed. Born Again Idiot is the perfect irreverent opener, all big rock guitar and Downes' iconic vocals pushes forth like a familiar ray of sunshine. Then Dark Riff offers a sombre segue, underpinned by maudlin organ and punctuated by trumpets. The brass pops up again on Diamonds & Paracetamol, a swinging number reminiscent of You Am I or The Cruel Sea, and the clouds part for the sun to shine on the shitty world the characters stumble around in. Beauty Is Truth holds down a heavier guitar buzz but remains in a similar vein, with Downes staggering around like a vaudeville soothsayer, laughing maniacally at the fickleness of truth. It truly showcases the intelligence and dry wit of his lyrics. Pets is even more off-kilter, whilst James, Jimmy, Nuisance, Hemi is a strong song that shirks most of the idiosyncrasies of its contemporaries, and stands out favourably because of it.

Eleven-minute rambler Last Will And Testament is rabid if a little overwrought, but almost works as a red herring, as closer What Sound Is This? is a memorable, upbeat rocker to close out the album.

Untimely Meditations holds too many ideas to be truly cohesive, but that's never stopped Downes and his troupe before, something we should be eternally grateful for.