If, like me, you wish The Ataris would go back to releasing albums in the style of ‘Blue Skies…’ or ‘End Is Forever’, then Vs The World are probably the band you’ve been waiting for. Featuring Mike Davenport (until recently The Ataris bassist) and former members of Antifreeze, Vs The World have a sound that is dark in tone, but perky enough to have you humming and singing along. Signed to Kung Fu Records this CD could well creep under many people’s radars (I haven’t seen any press for this at all yet), which would be a real shame because it’s actually rather good.
Vocalist Donald Spence actually sounds a little like Kris Roe, making this pretty much a must for any old-skool Ataris fans. Add to that they actually cover ‘In Spite of the World’ and you’ll understand why I need to reference the two bands together so often. ‘Is There No End’ is an absolute gem – full of spikey guitars and sugary melodies – while ‘Ghost In The Bottle’ sounds like it could have come from ‘So Long Astoria‘; so much so, it’s actually spooky how much it sounds like The Ataris. Despite all these comparisons, Vs The World do sound like a good band in their own right. Both ‘Medallion’ and ‘Victim‘ are heavier, while ‘Love Every Scar’ breaks the pace up rather nicely.
Without breaking too much new ground, Vs The World sound pretty good and this debut hints at promising things. Covering ‘In Spite of the World’ won’t help them shake The Ataris tags, but then maybe that’s the point. With Mike Davenport in the band, I’m left thinking that Vs The World have been set up because he was left so frustrated with the direction The Ataris have since gone in. Whatever their mission, this is a solid debut that could be a sleeper hit for Kung Fu.
www.vstheworld.com
Kung Fu Records
Paul