Customer Reviews

Secret Swingers

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Drawing from influences as disparate as Mission of Burma and Joy Division, Versus are iconoclasts only in the sense that they are producing incredibly great music in a sea of mediocrity. With Secret Swingers, their second full album after The Stars are Insane, Versus continues to produce their distinctive brand of melodic pop songs. All tracks are strong, with "Lose That Dress", "Double Suicide (Mercy Killing)" and "Star Crossed Love" leading the way. The vocal harmonizing between lead singers Richard Baluyut and Fontaine Toups keeps getting better with each new release. All around a great effort from one of the best bands in existence today. They also put on a great live show.

This album is ever so enjoyable to listen to. The quality of indie rock has been declining steadily. However, Versus is always a joy. "Jealous" is a wonderful song. This is good music for a long car ride.

High praise, I know, but well deserved on this, the greatest of Versus releases. "Lose That Dress" is simply one of the most stunning entrances on a rock album. If those chords don't touch you, check your pulse...or turn up your stereo, it's too quiet.
In my opinion this was the height for this essential Indie band although Two Cents deserves a good look as well. Be sure to check out Dead Leaves (a singles comp) and The Stars Are Insane as well.

Versus...ahh...musically magical in a very manic and immediate...listen to me sing and jerk your soul around kinda way. Listening to this album repeatedly over the years just allows me to build up these incredible feelings of nostalgia. A band like this, as Bukowski said so eloquently, is like finding gold in a garbage dump; a washed out 5 dollar bill in your jean pocket; an unexpected kiss from your new, strange lover; a cup of good steaming coffee while you blow smoke from your cigarette into the air. Fantasic and ecstatic in its urgency to brand you with their sound.

This lyrics are rugged, yearning and melodically raw. Female and male vocals come together on this album so distinctively and yet so complimentary. What a real pleasure hearing this band put together one rugged and immediate song after another. If you listen closely, you will hear a band driving their spikey souls into your soft inners.

This is by far their best album. I saw them live and they will keep you enthralled with their energetic performance and their sound. They have perfected driving their sounds into anyone who will listen.

Don't let this classic indie album pass you by.

I strongly believe that after repeated listenings of this album, you will begin to develop a vague romantic nostalgia for the melodies. This nostalgia will develop unbeknownst to your active consciousness and your unconscious will haunt you with these songs of lust, lost feelings and misguided yearnings for romance.

Listening to this album is like listening to a young, hungry, passionate singer and his band yelling, groping, melodically hammering, sternly searching for some kind of love undefined.

I bought the Versus CD "Two Cents Plus Plus Tax" before this one. I decided I should stop listening to the same CD over and over again and finally go out and buy another Versus CD. Not that I was getting sick of it, but I wanted to hear their other stuff. I love "Secret Swingers" just as much as "Two Cents..." My favorite tracks are 1 and 6, Lose That Dress and Double Suicide (Mercy Killing). The blending of Fontaine and Richard's voices is fantastic on "Mercy Killing". I love Versus very very very very very much! They are excellent live, too. If you get the chance, see them live! I am going to buy one of their older albums "Dead Leaves" very soon. I'm sure it won't disappoint. Oh yeah, the person from Hatfield, what a coincidence! I used to live in Hatfield!!!

No complaints about the actual CD. The mailer packaging should have been a little better though. The case was crushed when it arrived. Obviously, I was more interested in the music, but kind of a drag to have to find a new case.

All I have to say is, if your smart and you like good pop, you'll buy this album.