by Jason MacNeil

Veda begin this debut record with a no-nonsense, rock-solid indie-ish tune that showcases Kristen May and her fine, somewhat fragile voice on "Trade This Fear." Sounding a bit like the lead singer from Sixpence None the Richer, May opens the song with a mid-tempo, moody groove that downshifts before hitting the catchy, radio-friendly chorus. "Song for a Friend" falls into the same mould, a sort of adult contemporary pop effort with just enough edge or bite to make it gel in the vein of early 10,000 Maniacs. The murkier the tone of the song, the finer Veda come across, especially on the melodic "The Falling Kind," with its Cure-like sensibilities. "Lover's Lie" has "single" written all over it, resembling a cross between Lisa Loeb and Nelly Furtado. The momentum continues though with a pleasing, melancholic approach on "Desire on Repeat," which might have you putting the song on repeat. Unfortunately "It's All Happening on Broadway" opens in an airy, light haze prior to shaking the cobwebs out and getting down to a punchy, pop/rock blueprint. May lets loose and breaks out during the bridge with better-than-expected results. The record moves into a hard-rocker format with tracks like "Still Standing" yet never veers into Evanescence territory although "Safe" comes quite close. She moves back into familiar ground with the tender but rock-oriented "Moments Rewound" that shines thanks to the tight rhythm section of bassist Jason Douglas and drummer Drew Little. An acoustic version of "Lover's Lie" concludes the album, one which will attract many listeners for its well-crafted arrangements and May's fine performances.