“Sounds like a whale is dying, or a dial-up modem.” “Piercing.” “Gloriously Loud.” “Harmonious.” These are all quotes from a single paragraph write-up on Versing’s 2016 EP, Nude Descending. On their new album, 10000, Versing picks right up on where they left off with their previous work. It’s easy to understand why they’ve found success in embracing these aesthetic qualities.
Marking a graduation from the DIY ethos of Help Yourself Records to the Sub Pop subsidiary Hardly Art, the overall tone of 10000 is still very much in line with the tone and precedent Versing set with their full-length debut, Nirvana, in 2017. Regardless of how I consume Versing’s recordings — and regardless of whether I can understand or relate to the lyrics of songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Daniel Salas — it’s hard to not be moved by the forceful guitars and purposeful vocal delivery. These characteristics feel constant throughout Versing’s discography. And the guitar work on 10000 is par for the course: immersive, feeding back, sometimes catchy, sometimes abrasive, always acting as a jagged conduit for Salas’s smart songwriting.
Versing kicks off 10000 with the aptly named “Entryism.” On my first listen, I was quickly overwhelmed by the five minutes of droning synth and jarring guitars. On an immediate second listen, I was reminded just how subtly this band puts the word “glorious” in “gloriously loud.” With every verse and section adding more guitar layers and textures, a distinctive and comfortable simplicity is maintained by the repetitive bass line and drum patterns. It’s also worth noting that top-notch production and mixing allow this simplicity to really flourish.
The two-and-half minute single, “Offering,” follows suite, as it features a constant bending guitar drone for about eighty percent of the short track. In describing this stylistic choice, Salas states, “I just really enjoy that droning line of guitar feedback.” Go figure. He does elaborate, noting that Versing uses “a lot of feedback on our songs, but I think that’s one of the more deliberately musical uses we’ve found for it. It’s sort of a fantastical song about traveling through a mystical portal to stop an encroaching force of evil, and the feedback is like the whirring sound the portal makes.”
This quote is a helpful indicator in understanding Versing. For me, “Offering” is a prime example where I get the emotional connection with the song without relating to the lyrics (even after knowing the backstory of the song). The press notes from Hardly Art kind of hint at this truth, noting “with Versing, songwriting is obviously crucial, but much of the pleasure in 10000 comes from its guitar textures.” I couldn’t agree more.
This presents an interesting dynamic. While there is a lot of pleasure to be found in the 13 songs on 10000, the constant focus on guitar textures feels at times like a well-curated exhibit that leaves the songs existing in vacuum — almost like pieces of art behind glass in a semi-cohesive, semi-repetitive collection. And while this is sometimes off-putting, it has lent itself in Versing’s favor. They’ve found a recognizable sound within a genre that’s very much saturated by guitars and guitar feedback in 2019. After listening through 10000, I found myself craving “Body Chamber” or “Call Me Out” from 2017’s Nirvana, almost as if those tracks could be interchangeable between the singles from 10000. And, in turn, I found myself listening again to 10000 and letting the songs — and lyrics — get under my skin.
Salas’s citation of bands like Cocteau Twins and Wire as major inspirations makes a lot sense to me. Wire biographer Wilson Neate notes that the post-punk pioneer’s 1977 album Pink Flag “found them twisting punk’s simplicity and rawness to their own arty designs.” I can hardly think of a better description for the sound that Versing is doubling down on with 10000. And that might be indicative that they’re on to something that’s going to work for a long time to come.
10000
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