Album Of The Year 2021 – Number 25

Welcome to day 6 of my Album of the Year 2021 Top 30 countdown. So far, so good I think, with all of my choices so far meeting with at least some positivity. And I’m really enjoying putting this series together because it gives me a chance to revisit some of the best music that 2021 has provided. And I hope you’ll agree, there has been a lot of it – just take a look at the ten albums within my ‘honourable mentions‘ post to see the calibre of album that missed out.

If you’re new to the series, please head to the bottom of the page for all the links that you’ll ever need, so that you can catch up!

But that’s it by way of an intro today – let’s get on to the main event…

Number 25

Wooden Veins

“In Finitude”

The Vinyl Division

Release Date: 4 June 2021

Score Of Much Metal: 93%

Another avant-garde album in my Top 30 this year? Has the world gone mad? Well, yes, it clearly has, but not because of this. It just so happens that this hitherto unknown Chilean band, Wooden Veins, has delivered a debut album that is very hard to ignore.

As I wrote in my review, I do really like the way in which the South American quartet have created something both interesting and incredibly listenable. I’m listening to it now as I type this post and that sense of effortless smoothness can be heard throughout the record, regardless of the fact that there are some demonstrably ‘odd’ ideas, and pronounced juxtapositions within it.

The album feels very mature, not something you can always say of debut efforts. And it still sounds wonderful; the production has not lost any of its magic, meaning that it remains fresh and inviting nearly six months on from it’s release. I still highly recommend this, particularly if you’re looking to get into prog/avant-garde music for the first time.

What I wrote at the time:

“‘In Finitude’ is definitely an intriguing record, chock full of different ideas, sounds, and textures. However, it is far more subtle in its delivery, preferring to work its way more insidiously into your affections, rather than act like a two-year-old hyped up on sugar…

…I prefer to describe ‘In Finitude’ as possessing a wonderfully smooth ebb and flow for much of the time, a flow that becomes mesmeric on occasion, almost hypnotic. In addition, whilst there are some slightly unexpected chord progressions or melodies, Wooden Veins do not fully alienate the listener in this regard; instead, the musicians are clever enough to imbue their compositions with some warm and inviting melodies to soften the edges nicely.

What screams to me by this point, is the fact that the quartet appear to be in complete unison; they are clearly very talented musicians, but they all keep things in check until the composition demands otherwise. As such, despite the avant-garde stylings, there’s a strong focus and attention to detail throughout…

…in Wooden Veins, lovers of progressive and avant-garde music have a new band in their midst that requires immediate and undivided attention. From the richness of the sound to the quality of musicianship, and from the beauty to the experimentation, ‘In Finitude’ is the real deal. “

Read the full review here.