By 2014, seven full years after The Veronicas' last album "Hook Me Up", it had seemed that they were destined to be another novelty teen-pop act of the mid-2000s. True to form, feuds between record labels was the prime culprit, resulting in Jess and Lisa Origliasso to scrap the majority of their intended third album around 2010 or so. Admirably, though, they soldiered on; despite the outside drama, they proceeded to update the material for their third album, and miraculously were able to properly release the eponymous "The Veronicas" in late November. Releasing a self-titled record is usually an indication of a debut, or a rebirth, and there's certainly a lot that has changed about The Veronicas since 2007. For one, they're obviously much older (pushing thirty, in fact), so they all but discard their teen-pop past and instead opt for a wider range of sounds. Of course, this would ultimately result in more soul and more indie rock--indeed, the two genres come together in the truly bizarre opener "Sanctified"--but one thing that hasn't changed is The Veronicas' need to explore mainstream pop sounds. They cannily sprinkle 2010s EDM in small doses throughout, while they toss in punk sounds in "Teenage Millionaire", new wave atmospheres in "Cold", and occasionally drop sassy raps at their convenience. Responsible for this adept mix of sounds is mostly producer Toby Gad, a Veronicas mainstay, but they also recruit Nellee Hooper, Dreamlab, and DNA to season the plate, making "The Veronicas" just as much of a pop classic as their first two albums. Even if it doesn't play quite like a piece as "The Secret Life Of" or "Hook Me Up" did, the Origliasso sisters demonstrate their maverick talents, both lyrically and vocally, to unify these songs regardless of their constantly shifting genres and moods. Not many singer-songwriters age this gracefully, but The Veronicas have already proven they're not cookie-cutter tarts like their long-lost peers. They're sheer determination to make "The Veronicas" work pays off to remarkable rewards. And although their pop stylings can be a bit too calculated (mostly in ballads like "You Ruin Me"), they prove that calculation can be enjoyable when at the hands of skilled craftsmen. It's this deft mastery of style and song that once again proves that the world of mainstream pop has too few acts like The Veronicas.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Sanctified 2. Did You Miss Me? 3. Cruel
4. Line of
Fire 5. Teenage Millionaire 6. Born Bob Dylan
7. Always 8. Mad Love 9. You Ruin Me
10. More Like
Me 11. If You Love Someone 12. Cold
13. Let Me Out 14. You and Me
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