Review Summary: Veseria tread the familiar late Sixties music territory with a few modern touches too, but do it with style and great musical knowledge.
It is always an interesting encounter for your ears when you start listening to a band you have not heard before, but then you suddenly realize that it as if you are revisiting a few of your favorite records from your collection.
That is the feeling I had when I turned on RLTVTY, the third album from the Indianapolis quartet Veseria. Everything was new, but then, it was all strains of music of familiar, and most dear origin. The husband and wife duo of Jen and Patrick Roberts obviously share a similar record collection as I do and they really know it by heart.
But on the evidence of /RLTVTY/, they are far from being simple imitators of anybody. They have been able to combine the sounds familiar to the into something that has basically become something their own.
When the “And Also” starts the proceedings, you get the impression that it is an unknown song Love had prepared for their /Forever Changes/ album, with Arthur Lee vocals replaced by those of Jen Roberts. The title should have been a giveaway too.
From “Zenobia” to “Star Stuff” we get equal doses of Jen’s and Patrick’s vocals and actually equal doses added of Jefferson Airplane from its heyday, and Stevie Winwood’s and Dave Mason’s “Traffic” at its best. With a ballad here and there to spice things up further and keep you guessing about the influences.
Then, when “Hunting Accidents” kick in, things get moving a bit forward from the second part of the Sixties into The Clash territory and even some truly modern sounds. Still, I would say that those older influence ring more true to the spirit of this band.
Throughout the album and the way it was recorded and produced, it is also evident that Veseria is probably a treat live. The sound is geared to give that live feel and energy, without being too rough at the edges. No wonder, since they have toured quite extensively and have supported bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bad Company, and Saw Doctors. That can certainly also be the indicator of what sound you can expect from Veseria.
