Review Summary: Introducing Versus the World...
After a seven year hiatus, alternative/punk band Versus The World have made a triumphant return with their second LP, "Drink. Sing. Live. Love." With their first album being so long ago, chances are you haven’t heard of them, but that’s about to change. Due to this impressive release I think the CA based act are finally about to get the attention they deserve.
Formed by former Ataris' bassist Mike Davenport, the bands second effort is made up of 13 songs. Admittedly, it can be risky to have this many tracks on a pop-punk album, due to risk of more filler, but there’s not a bad song on here. Sure, some songs are stronger than others, but even the weaker tracks are made better by the outstanding vocals courtesy of Donald Spence. The song ‘A Fond Farewell’ is a prime example of his talent and he sounds quite similar to Patrick Stump.
The album opens strongly with ‘She Sang the Blues,’ a fast-paced number filled with excellent guitar work and rapid drums. This song is about the bands appreciation of music and there is a line that states “we are what we listen to.” Obviously, they are referring to the impact music can have on our lives. ‘The Kids are Fu*ked’ is another stand out and it’s made even better by an intro containing dialogue from the cult hit TV show Freaks and Geeks. In this track are lyrics that make an interesting point about the kids in our society, calling them “privileged little beggars.” With the ever increasing technology in the world it’s not hard to see where the band is coming from. Other songs are much more uplifting such as the bouncy ‘A Love Song for Amsterdam’ or ‘We Were Alive.’
Luckily the album is packed with energy that never really lets up. As catchy as the songs are, one of the most rewarding aspects of "Drink. Sing. Live. Love." are its lyrics. They are about exactly what the album name suggests. In aforementioned track ‘A Fond Farewell,’ Spencer belts ‘Hallelujah, No I ain’t young but I ain’t dead yet; I’ve got more promise than regret. It’s clear the band haven’t lost their love for music during their absence and every member fit’s the band perfectly. All of them have been making music for years but the newest member to Versus the World is Chris Flipp from Lagwagon who makes a great addition on guitar. The album at its core is about life itself and the experiences we all go through. It’s honestly written and just plain fun music; with lyrics that anybody can relate to.
