VersaEmerge - Fixed at Zero
Rating
RIYL
ParamoreSaosin
Hey Monday
YouInSeries
Release Date
06/21/2010
Label
Fueled By RamenTracklist
1. Figure It Out2. Mind Reader
3. Fixed at Zero
4. You’ll Never Know
5. Stranger
6. Redesign Me
7. Fire (Aim Your Arrows High)
8. Up There
9. Your Own Lov.E.
10. Mythology
11. Lost Tree
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Remember Translating the Name? Remember the torrential tsunami of hype it crashed down upon the scene back in 2003? Remember the Saosin EP? Remember the collective wave of unease that washed over the scene like a fetid, billowing splash of polluted ocean water at the Jersey shore? Fans had (im)patiently waited two years for new recorded material, some sign that everything would be okay and just as incredible sans Anthony Green. The Saosin EP didn’t quell any fears, but it certainly didn’t disappoint... too much, at least. When the Saosin LP dropped in 2006, a lot of fans hoping for a sound more akin to Translating the Name threw up their hands, but a whole new smattering of enamored kids immediately sunk their teeth into the album’s slick production and infectious pop melodies. It was an effort that was solid and worthy, but inoffensive and unremarkable.
In their current iteration, VersaEmerge have also released two EPs preceding Fixed at Zero. Perceptions, their first EP with vocalist Sierra Kusterbeck, was like a magical kick in the nuts that somehow felt euphoric. It had the atmosphere and guitar work of an early Circa Survive album, but was dancy and immediate—impossible not to sing along to. Unsurprisingly, Fueled by Ramen scooped them up faster than a dog turd dropped right by the “Pick up after your pet! $400 fine” sign. Then VerseEmerge’s follow-up self-titled EP, however, garnered much of the same mixed reaction as the Saosin EP (see Shane Matthew Stiles’s glowing review and Decoy users’ contrary comments). The band created some great tracks with stunning guitar work and neat orchestral elements, but the EP was not without its missteps.
True to my long-winded and circuitous analogy, Fixed at Zero feels a lot like Saosin’s debut full-length. Fans have been waiting three years for a proper release to see precisely what kind of songwriting chops VersaEmerge really have; and the answer is solid and worthy, but inoffensive and unremarkable. The production is immaculate. The songs are catchy, competent, and still have that characteristic atmospheric, dramatic quality (think Evanescence but not trying so hard to be dark and moody), though the instrumentation feels lush, but indistinct. Sierra Kusterbeck’s voice is still astonishingly strong, though VersaEmerge and Paramore are constantly compared, Kusterbeck can sing circles around Hayley Williams. It may satisfy the band’s modest fanbase, but Fixed at Zero isn’t going to turn any heads.
Remember Riot!? when Paramore really defined themselves as a band by putting out an album with a distinctive, diverse sound? Fixed at Zero is more like an Anberlin album, an Emarosa album, or, to extend the analogy, like the Saosin LP. Every song is roughly the same tempo (with an occasional “slow song”), has the same structure, and produces the same emotional effect. There aren’t any moments that really stand out throughout the album’s 47 minutes.
To an existing fan of VersaEmerge, Fixed at Zero is easily worth a purchase. To the interested listener, Fixed at Zero is a decent album that merits a test-drive. But if you’re reading this because you’ve clicked the wrong link and are thinking “Para-who?” Fixed at Zero probably won’t make much of an impression on you.
--Zach Roth
Comments
Atascadero, CA
good comparison, it should also be noted (seen by myself but not completely confirmed) Sierra was "hanging out" with Cove from Saosin last year on Warped Tour.
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Illinois
she actually loves anthony green and the first saosin ep i've read in a few interviews.
honestly, it's a solid album. nothing spectacular, but check it out.
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Independence, KY
One problem: Jersey shore beaches are immaculate.
Minnesota
Meh... not bad, but can be boring in spots. A couple of cool songs on here for sure (I really enjoy "Stranger"), but others had me snoring.
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Fishers, Indiana
You've obviously been to the wrong Jersey shores, man. :P
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Green Brook, NJ
heh, maybe the beaches at the jersey shore all you gay pennsylvania tourists go to are polluted because you all go there to drink beers and do heroin, but people who actually live here know where to go. the only beaches that are gross are atlantic city, asbury park, and seaside. i love how PA rednecks talk all this shit about jersey and have no idea what they're talking about.
Fishers, Indiana
Hahahaha. Awesome.
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Independence, KY
Seaside Beaches are actually very nice and clean! I go every year, before that SHIT show.
Green Brook, NJ
the boardwalk for seaside is full of faggots ever since that show came out. point pleasant is where it's at.
Fishers, Indiana
I'm sorry I was callous and unfairly criticized Jersey. It must be all that heroin I do. :/
I really fucking like this album after my 406th listen. I stand by what I said, but as a biased fanboy it's at least a 4.5 for me now.
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