May 18, 2010

Having released a trio of great records throughout the ‘90s (The Stars Are Insane, Secret Swingers, Two Cents Plus Tax), and an excellent thought then to be swansong LP in 2000 (Hurrah), Versus spent the ‘00s largely dormant, occasionally getting back together to open for Mission of Burma or play a Teenbeat or Merge anniversary gig.

But in 2008 they began writing new material in their mid-‘90s trio incarnation of Richard Baluyut, Fontaine Toups, and Ed Baluyut, eventually reuniting with producer Nicholas Vernhes (Animal Collective, Deerhunter, Dirty Projectors), who they previously worked with on Secret Swingers, at his Rare Book Room Brooklyn studio. The result of these sessions is the LP On the Ones and Threes, due to be released on Merge August 3rd on both CD and double vinyl, the latter featuring both an alternate tracklisting and bonus tracks.

Merge have released the first MP3, “Invincible Hero,” and it has all the signature Versus moves that their fans know and love—resplendent harmonies courtesy of Baluyut and Toups, jangly guitars that abruptly veer into an anthemic visceral chug, and a brand new accoutrement of violin courtesy of Margaret White (Sparklehorse, The Comas) that fits this superb track like a glove.

On the Ones and Threes Tracklist:

01 “Invincible Hero”
02 “Nu Skin”
03 “Into Blue”
04 “Gone To Earth”
05 “Cicada”
06 “Erstwhile”
07 “Pink Valhalla”
08 “Saturday Saints”
09 “Scientists”
10 “The Ones and Threes”

(MP3 via: Stereogum)