First Listen: Seattle's Versing Drop "Nirvana" This Friday

September 26, 2017 | by Jocelyn Hoppa

Before Seattle's Versing formed, a few of the band members were in a stoner metal band called Sun Eater (I told you), and little flecks of that sound can be found woven into their latest project, which leans on old-school noise pop (think Pavement and Silkworm meets Sonic Youth) as they take some bona fide melodies and add crunch and distortion, seemingly always on the search for a new sound or place to go with the music. You can also find some shoegaze-y moments and a lot of indifference and reverb, fuzz and feedback swirling around and bouncing off of equal parts physical and cerebral into a very succinct indie rock sound.

So, first things first: How does a Seattle band get away with naming their debut LP Nirvana? As stated by the band, the name of the album is not a joke. Frontman Daniel Salas is straightforward is saying his concept of "nirvana" is this undeserved sense of self-forgiveness one sometimes feels in wake of terrible decision making. We've all been there, right?

Along with Salas is Graham Baker on guitars, bassist Kirby Lochner and drummer Max Keyes, Versing formed in 2013 and have two self-released EPs and 2016's Nude Descending under their collective belt (oh, and also a tour cassette Tape). And now their dropping their first official debut album (via Help Yourself Records) this Friday.

Sure, there's some retreading of the '90s going on here, but the band has enough of their own voice to those sounds and twist them into their own. Nirvana starts off strong with "Call Me Out," ensuring new listeners know this is a guitar-driven band (and hopefully really loud in a live setting). Other album highlights are "The Draw," "Chorus As," and "Dii" — and oddly enough the title track sounds more like a Thurston Moore love letter than an ode penned to Kurt (of which, we already learned, it is not).

Catchy, noisy ... what more could you want?

Versing is currently on tour with The Courtneys into early November. Album drops Friday. Dig.

Lead track off of Nirvana, "Call Me Out"

Live on KEXP playing "Body Chamber"