Tags: July Flame, Laura Veirs, Little Duschutes, Summer Is The Champion, Sun Is King
This is Portland native Laura Veirs’ seventh LP, and it’s very almost a concept album, albeit a non-traditional one. No, don’t run for the hills—this isn’t some pretentious prog nonsense; rather, it’s a collection of hazy ballads which evoke the heart of summer. The title track rumbles along on a bed of restrained guitar and gentle synths, Veirs musing over the very experience of summer itself, “I’m seeing fireworks/They’re so beautiful/Tell me why it hurts”. The whole thing is superbly paced, slowly building momentum until it ripens into a succession of triumphant strings, a motif which reoccurs at several points on the LP. ‘Sun Is King’ offers a more laconic approach, perfect for the dreamers out there. Then there’s the absorbing, brilliant ‘Summer Is The Champion’; driven by plonking keys, it’s a sun-kissed ballad that will certainly put a spring in the step. Not everything is immediately perfect here; some tracks are ultimately underwhelming. But, in common with Veirs’ finer efforts, each song still offers up subtleties which may take a few listenings to dredge out; check out that red-raw guitar solo on ‘Little Deschutes’ for proof. ‘July Flame’, then, is a pleasure to explore.
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SimonFuller has been trying this freelance journalism lark for almost eight months now, but often finds himself giving up and listening to more music. As well as lapping up everything from electro-pop to symphonic metal, he also enjoys plotting convoluted novels and drinking decadent variants on coffee. He lives in Bedford.
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