reviewed by Michael
Victoria post-rock outfit Versa may have just created one of the most grand and epic albums in my recent memory. The nearly hour-long The Decline & Fall Of… is sweeping and majestic.
One could almost call Versa an instrumental band but there are vocals from time to time. The band reminded me somewhat of the Halifax band It Kills; both bands create very atmospheric music and vocals tend to be used as an instrument as well. Versa tends to use more vocals than It Kills, however.
The Decline & Fall Of… is a perfect name for the album- the melodies seem to tell a story about someone’s fall from grace. The music is mostly melancholic, though there are some brighter spots here and there.
The album begins off with the instrumental “Scot.” It’s a very gloomy-sounding song that somehow naturally flows into the more upbeat “Common Things.” The song has vocals that don’t come in until a little later. There also aren’t too many lyrics, but it’s clear that singer Matt Domalge has a fantastic voice and good control.
“Dusk” kicks things up a notch, one of the only truly upbeat (almost frantic) songs on the album. It’s also short, and melds into the more slow “A Handful of Dust.” The song includes just whispering background vocals to create a ghostly feel.
“Caramel Spies” sounds almost exotic, and it leads into the sprawling “We Are Not What We Say We Are.” The latter is over nine minutes long and is filled with emotional ups and downs.
The next, “A Drift” is soft and acoustic, a nice change from the previous epic of a song. “Dear God! Am I Heavens Bound?” is a song that sounds repentant, with one of the hooks saying “Dear god, what have I done?” The next song is “The Mouse Brigade” which changes things up with an electric sound.
Finally, the last two songs are “Uncommon Things Part I” and “Uncommon Things Part II.” The former is a pretty-sounding song at first, but it starts to pick up at about the halfway mark and adds pounding drums and synths. As “Uncommon Things Part II” starts the tone gets decidedly more sad, with a guitar, violin and occasional tinkling of a xylophone. The song does pick up and goes crazy toward the end.
The Decline & Fall Of… will take the listener on an emotional journey and is definitely worth the listen.
You can find this album (and Versa’s others) at their live shows or through their website.
Top Tracks: “Common Things”; “Dear God! Am I Heavens Bound?”
Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good) +*swoop*
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