‘Homesick/ Roadsick’ treads a well-worn path through the field of pop punk. Comprising members from The Ataris and Lagwagon, Versus The World act as something of a timepiece for the glory years of the late 90s, when the genre hit its peak of popularity. The record itself will sound familiar to anyone who is old enough to remember when SoCal punk poured into the ears of teenagers everywhere, but there are new ideas being explored.
Opening song, ‘Santa Margarita’, is the album’s greatest. It’s vocalist/guitarist Donald Spence’s ode to No Use For A Name’s Tony Sly, who died unexpectedly in the summer of 2012. His voice channels pure tragedy and hope into the line: “I want to believe you will find peace and rest”. It’s Donald’s vocals that are one of band’s greatest assets. They never stray into the high-pitched screeching that was the bane of many C-list pop punk singers but convey a warm range. He sounds like a man with experience.
Another strength of the record is the dense layers of noise that are formed by the three guitarists. Lagwagon’s Chris Flippin and Murderland’s Tony Carrafa join Donald in creating a rich wall of sound that, when it works, weaves lead solos through steady chord riffs. On ‘Santa Margarita’, ‘A Brooklyn Rooftop’ and ‘Homesick/Roadsick’, the trio blend together in beautiful, anthemic punk crescendos.
However, the downside to this is that there is a sense that everyone is fighting for a bit of space. The band throws some post-hardcore chugging and guitar trickery into the mix without going the whole way. Several songs creep past the four minute mark but don’t feel like they’re a cohesive piece; more like the result of sticking together various parts.
‘The Black Ocean’ is a good example of this. It stomps along at a classic rock pace and is led by a crunchy riff, backed by chugging chords. Shortly after the two-minute mark, we cut to a solo, followed by a breakdown and build up to a crescendo of noise for a final chorus. It sticks out and jars with the more classic punk of ‘Santa Margarita’.
Ultimately, the album is difficult to pin down. Where it finds strength is in drawing from the excellent experience of Versus The World’s members, who stick to form and create a solid pop-punk throwback. Some might ask why that’s needed, almost fifteen years on from its hey-day. The record suffers where a more typical riff-based post-hardcore route is taken; though it’s a great sound, it breaks the cohesion and could have been better served by choosing one or the other.
If you’re a fan of The Ataris or the late 90s SoCal scene, ‘Homesick/Roadsick’ is worth a listen, but be prepared for an album that throws a few curveballs at you.
ASHLEY PARTRIDGE