Bad Veins - Bad Veins

Bad Veins, a Cincinnati-based duo, is the definition of catchy indie rock. Emotional, resonant, peaky. Their self-titled debut album is full of pleasant and refreshing breakdowns, high highs, and a fantastic raw feel. The hooks are BIG and relentless. Layers of background 'oh's, round-like vocals, and a multitude of smooth instruments (strings, keyboards) make songs feel big and complete. And a creative, driving drum beat pulls the great layering together with loud lead vocals, making for an incredibly catchy and enjoyable album from beginning to end.

My favorites (though I find myself humming parts of almost every song) are "Afraid", "The Lie", "Dryout", and "Go Home". Listen to how well they capture broad emotion in a big, big way. The lyrics aren't great, and the vocals do get a bit whiny, but everything just comes together so damn well. The mix of upbeat and downplayed are great, and the sudden peaks are incredibly effective at making you notice what's going on in your speakers. Finishing up a tour with We Were Promised Jetpacks, Bad Veins is yet another band that makes me proud to be from The Nati.

Go Home

Check out their myspace here.

Or check out the video for the song, "Gold and Warm".