Album Review: The Velveteers - 'A Million Knives'
Pulsating, Denver, rock trio, The Velveteers pull out all the stops and replace them with daggers on their much awaited sophomore project, A Million Knives.
Four years on from their acclaimed debut album, Nightmare Daydream, which saw them touring with the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins and Guns ‘N’ Roses, it’s safe to say these guys aren’t messing around. Their new project is a refined, deeper cutting thrill ride that takes you from the Earth’s core right up to the stars and back again while sawing guitars and whirring synths spin around your head.
A Million Knives is born out of frontwoman, Demi Demitro’s inspiration that flared up during a particularly gruelling stretch of life on the road. The album explores the injustices of an uncompassionate world as well as feelings of personal vulnerability. It’s hard to believe that a band with such a sense of power behind them has ever felt vulnerable; a striking balance which The Velveteers manage harmoniously.
Fittingly, Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys produced this project, an artist who is no stranger to sound expansion. Nightmare Daydream was a very streamline rock project which explored glimpses of ambient synths and psychedelia on tracks like Father of Lies and the title track. A Million Knives dives right into it across the album with folk inflected songs like Sweet Little Hearts and Up Here which burst into ethereal rock songs like Heaven.
Demitro’s vocals are able to flourish more beautifully as she enlivens each song with its necessary emotion. On songs like the single, On and On or the track, Moonchild her voice flies over the infectious guitar riffs like a mechanical bee. Her voice has a leather-clad elegance throughout the project, even on softer songs like A Million Knives. Combining that with the evocative lyricism of each song, The Velveteers create not only a strong sonic album but also a visual one as thoughts of “neon moons” orbit the listeners ears.
It is a genre-bending album without feeling messy or unsure, The Velveteers have a uniquely wonderful quality of sounding completely fresh yet also classic, as if they could slip into an 80’s, 90’s or 00’s rock playlist and no one would notice. A feeling that was also reserved for The Black Key’s on their breakthrough; Auerbach has done a wonderful job of bringing out the power in each musician and his influence is heard clearly.
The song, Go Fly Away, was co-written and co-produced by Auerbach and Black Keys bandmate, Patrick Carney marking the first time the band have ever produced together for another artist. The love and affection the pair have shown to The Velveteers’ obvious strength for rock’n’roll in all its diverse avenues is a joy to the ears. The alt-pop track is different in its warmth of atmosphere that is both uplifting and moving, a clear shift from the dirty rock the band is known for.
The Velveteers have been praised for their unique live set up that sees Demitro at the forefront and Baby Pottersmith and Jonny Fig, who also plays synths and guitar, on a conjoined drum kit. As cool as the image is, it’s musical enhancement is even cooler giving a stronger, darker sound to the lower drum tones which create a powder keg of rock magic on songs such as the opening track, All These Little Things which pumps the listener up for the barrage of sound to follow.
Overall the band have pushed their sound to a new level with their sophomore project, A Million Knives, a true testemant to the endurance of rock’n’roll in the face of adversity.
A Million Knives is due to come out on 14th February 2025, a perfect gift for your loved one.
Words by Adam Mir
