ARTIST: We Versus the Shark
TITLE: EP of Bees
LABEL: Hello Sir Records
GENRE: Indie
BITRATE: 208kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 16m total
RELEASE DATE: 2007-10-30
RIP DATE: 2008-10-21
Track List
----------
1. I Am A Fantastic Battle 3:04
2. The Lament Of Sue Richards 3:59
3. We Versus The Inevitability Of 3:51
Death
4. (After)Life Things 5:36
Release Notes:
http://www.myspace.com/weversustheshark
We Versus the Shark, along with many of the bands on the Hello Sir label, have
picked up the torch from the post-Fugazi guitar outfits of the late 1990s like
Les Savy Fav and Faraquet, with records as exciting as those bands' humble,
spastic beginnings, if not yet as innovative as those artists at their peak. The
Athens, Ga., band's debut seemed poised on the edge of breakthrough, or at least
something more than adding up their disparate influences, and they certainly
sound more confident on this follow-up EP. But if this breakthrough was to
involve slowing down or trimming the fat in some way, well, We Versus the Shark
have other ideas.
EP of Bees EP (circuitous and maximalist down to its silly title, even), is
more, more, more: more vocals, more prodigiously fast and complex rhythms, and
more moments that could cause arthritis in Guitar Hero XII: Athens Rises Again.
It's not quite as dynamic as the group's debut, but there is never a dull
moment-- just songs stuffed with jittery, unpredictable rhythms, jagged guitars,
and tense vocals until you can hear the seams tearing.
There's the kind of instrumental brawn here that you'd expect from labelmates
like Cinemechanica rather than the band that made Ruin Everything! a couple
years ago. A slippery, discordant guitar riff precedes a swinging,
backwards-blues stomp in "I Am a Fantastic Battle", with the vocals going from
exhaustingly rapid-fire lyrics to syncopated grunting on the chorus, and more
spidery guitar work throughout. It's a weird, winding path of genre, like a
Family Circus comic, that the band traverses to sound like math-rock biting at
the back fins of prog: Through equal parts basement-show sweat and adroit
ambition, that seems to be where they've landed.
"The Lament of Sue Richards" spotlights guitarist/singer Samantha Paulsen's
vocals and a follow-the-bouncing-ball keyboard line, with bass/keys/other singer
Jeff Tobias barking over the diverging B-sections. It'd be the catchiest track
with Paulsen on her own, but it's even more memorable for its juxtapositions,
making other tracks sound a little haphazard in comparison. The song's final
flashy breakdown comes out of nowhere, and it's a stunning, unabashed show-off
moment for the band that might have you whooping and applauding in front of your
stereo. (A quick skim of the live-performance DVD included reveals that while
guitarist/singer Luke Fields has plenty of rock star moves, Paulsen is actually
our nimble-fingered hero.)
Both "We Versus the Inevitability of Death" and "(After)life Things" play it
quiet during the verses while the rhythm section pays no heed, jamming just as
quickly and nervously as anywhere else. "Inevitability" even flirts on the edge
of danceability, with clattering, simmering percussion under the whispers and
insinuations of Paulsen and Fields. "(After)life Things" has lovely, somber
guitar work, and some quiet and oddly poignant calm-of-the-storm moments, though
it also seems a bit jumbled.
A few of the shrugging spoken lyrics hint at Travis Morrison's expressive
intonation, though they're not quite as clever with the content. One male singer
is a desperate screamer while the other is an over-enunciator, and there's not
much of a range between them. But this is why the band's three-pronged attack,
much more evident here than on their debut, works to their advantage. EP of Bees
marks a transitional moment, sure, but that's one of the things EPs are good
for. A transition this confident promises good things to come.