npmshah
04/09/09, 06:34 PM
The Mission Veo - The Mission Veo
Record Label: Contempt Records
Release Date: November 27, 2007
One of the most interesting things about The Mission Veo is their name’s strange mix of Spanglish. When “Veo” is translated, the band’s name comes out to be “The Mission I See,” and when I heard their music, I got the sense that the mission they saw for themselves was to play generic well. With a synth and drum beats backing an above average vocalist, guitarist, and bassist, the band is clearly breaking no new ground here, yet a lot of the songs on their self-titled disc are fun, catchy, and make for great party music.
One of the most evident instruments on this disc is, surprisingly, the bass. Bassist Ryan Nolan provides grooving bass lines that are at times more easy to make out than the guitar parts. However, guitarist Ben Davenport is not without his own skill. He subtly shows off his playing, choosing to combine his most impressive pieces with the band rather than in a solo. Vocalist Jonathon Ellis (who reminds the audience of a Davey Havok gone soprano), drummer Karsten Andersen and synth player Manny Soto round out the band, and on the album’s best tracks the members play off each other very well. Standout tracks include: “Fuchsia,” “The Jacket,” “New York Scum,” “Ordinary Life,” and “On the Fence.” However, I recommend avoiding the rest of the tracks, as they tend to blend into each other and drag on too long.
Overall, this is a very polar effort from The Mission Veo. Some of the songs are so catchy and danceable that you want to get up and dance along, while others make you wonder when the album will end. Maybe the band should’ve settled for an EP, since they had enough songs to produce a very excellent one. Only time will tell where The Mission Veo will go, but with any luck they will find themselves a mission to produce more solid songs on future efforts.
AFI; Blaqk Audio; Kill Hannah
myspace.com/themissionveo (http://www.myspace.com/themissionveo)
Record Label: Contempt Records
Release Date: November 27, 2007
One of the most interesting things about The Mission Veo is their name’s strange mix of Spanglish. When “Veo” is translated, the band’s name comes out to be “The Mission I See,” and when I heard their music, I got the sense that the mission they saw for themselves was to play generic well. With a synth and drum beats backing an above average vocalist, guitarist, and bassist, the band is clearly breaking no new ground here, yet a lot of the songs on their self-titled disc are fun, catchy, and make for great party music.
One of the most evident instruments on this disc is, surprisingly, the bass. Bassist Ryan Nolan provides grooving bass lines that are at times more easy to make out than the guitar parts. However, guitarist Ben Davenport is not without his own skill. He subtly shows off his playing, choosing to combine his most impressive pieces with the band rather than in a solo. Vocalist Jonathon Ellis (who reminds the audience of a Davey Havok gone soprano), drummer Karsten Andersen and synth player Manny Soto round out the band, and on the album’s best tracks the members play off each other very well. Standout tracks include: “Fuchsia,” “The Jacket,” “New York Scum,” “Ordinary Life,” and “On the Fence.” However, I recommend avoiding the rest of the tracks, as they tend to blend into each other and drag on too long.
Overall, this is a very polar effort from The Mission Veo. Some of the songs are so catchy and danceable that you want to get up and dance along, while others make you wonder when the album will end. Maybe the band should’ve settled for an EP, since they had enough songs to produce a very excellent one. Only time will tell where The Mission Veo will go, but with any luck they will find themselves a mission to produce more solid songs on future efforts.
AFI; Blaqk Audio; Kill Hannah
myspace.com/themissionveo (http://www.myspace.com/themissionveo)