Versus - Hurrah
(Merge)
You can tell just by looking at this album the difference between being on
one of the worst labels in the world and being on one of the best. The
cover of Two Cents Plus Tax, Versus' previous album, shows the band members'
faces using photo mosaics, making them look misshapen and Picasso-esque.
The background is dark, and the whole image seems not quite right. The
music of Two Cents Plus Tax fits the image, being a little darker sonically
than previous Versus material and also just not quite right. In contrast,
the cover of Hurrah, Versus' new album and first full length on Merge,
is a discoball sunrise with fresh flowers and bright colors.
Sonically, this is a good description of Hurrah. Versus was always a pop
band, but with this album, they are moving more towards being a light pop
band, writing more and more ballads, putting less and less emphasis on
Sonic Youth-style guitar wizardry. Even one of the more rock guitar-heavy
songs of the album, "Sayonara," introduces itself as "this is a ballad
for the suicide bombers." The band has not given up entirely on the
Sonic Youth sound though, as "Frederick's of Hollywood" comes as close
as the band has ever been to achieving total Sonic Youth-dom, a carbon copy
in both guitar sound and Thurston Moore's spoken-word vocal style.
Possibly the only traditional Versus-style rock song on this album is
"Shangri-La," the only original from their Shangri-La EP from earlier this
year, and that is unfortunate especially if you own the EP. The making of that
EP has had an impact on the band's songwriting and possibly is part of the
explanation on the increased emphasis on ballads. The band seems to be
letting more of a 60s pop influence (i.e., similar to some artists covered on
the EP) seep into their sound, letting go of their late 80s underground rock
influence to make room. For instance, if Versus was a 60s girl group like the
Shangri-Las, "Play Dead" would be their top ten hit with its steady beat and
backing male/female la-la-la-las.
Lyrically, this is the same old Versus, and, to a certain extent, thank God
for that. The band has milked many songs out of the cataloged feelings
from the breakup of a first love and long-term relationship, and the cow has
not gone dry yet as many of the songs of Hurrah are of the same subject.
The material remains effective despite how many times I've heard it before.
The title of the album, Hurrah, reflects this common subject, as in the last
hurrah for a couple on the verge of splitting. Again it is interesting to point
out the difference between this album and the last: Hurrah is simple and
meaningful, but Two Cents Plus Tax is esoteric and just odd. The song titles
also reflect this whereas the previous album had the depressing "Atomic Kid,"
here we have several comic titles like "My Adidas," "Frederick's of Hollywood,"
and "I Love the WB," however the actual lyrics of the song do not match the
humor of the titles.
Versus is only able to write good songs, and it is clear they were in a better
mood for the making of this album (recording it alone with no outside help or
influence), making it an improvement over Two Cents
Plus Tax (but not quite up to the standards of their first two albums).
The great songs have become few and far between, but who cares? There is enough
rehashing of the Versus formula to pique the interest of old Versus fans and
enough new twists to hold it. I hope this isn't the last Hurrah for Versus.
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