Versus The Mirror – Home / 2006 Equal Vision / 12 Tracks / http://www.versusthemirror.net / http://www.equalvision.com / Reviewed 05 July 2006

Versus The Mirror does the split emo and hardcore style that is played by a number of acts in the current period. The style seems to be on its way out, but Versus The Mirror adds a little bit of classic emo to the mix to keep things exciting. This means that “Birthed By Architecture” is a track that bounces back and forth between pure screaming and a melodic set of harmonies that will reside in listeners’ hearts for long after the CD ends.

While there is not much in the way of different styles present in “Smoke It To The Rope”, Versus The Mirror continues along their path with a crafted sound that individuals cannot mistake “Home” being any other act. This cohesive sound is something that will come back and bite Versus the Mirror, as the band goes to the well with each subsequent track on the disc. The songs are all good and solid, and if this was purely based on a single by single basis, “Home” would be a solid album. With these twelve tracks taken as a whole, the result is different; it feels as if the band has gotten into a rut by the time “Smoke It To The Rope” ends.

There are some very bright moments on this album, such as the harmonies achieved during “Barracuda Capital of the World”, but Versus The Mirror really needs to change up their sound more to fully gain the respect that they deserve. “Great White Zombie” starts out promising, with a tempo that had not been approached previously on the disc. The much more sedate sound of Versus The Mirror on this track is a perfect break from the dominant sound during the disc. Even when the band goes into something harder, there is still that pensive, emotional style that is qualitatively different from anything else that individuals have heard on this disc. Out of the twelve cuts on this album, Versus The Mirror top out during “Great White zombie”. While tracks like “Life As A Criminal” try to incorporate a new-rock type of feel at points to Versus The Mirror, the band pans out gold when they go back to their classic emo influences. Versus The Mirror may have a minor issue trying to continually create new styles of music on “Home”, but the styles that they do surround themselves in are crafted with extremely deft hands and a spirit that can never be quashed.

Top Tracks: Great White Zombie, Out of Context Rating: 5.7/10

[JMcQ]