pg.lost - Versus (2016)
My most anticipated album release for 2016 is finally available for streaming, and I've given it a proper listen. Let me tell you right off the bad that this may be one of the most crisp albums in their collection so far. When I first heard the news that we'd be getting a new pg.lost album this year, I was already stoked. Had no idea what to expect especially considering the amount of love I have for their 2012 release, Key. This one definitely did not disappoint in any form.
While Versus is it's own album, they do a few throwbacks here and there where you hear the pg.lost we've come to know and love, while still managing to keep things fresh and new. There's a reason this band is my favorite post-rock band and it's because every time they release something, they're consistent. They keep things fresh, they keep things new, and they try new things. I've not ever heard a pg.lost album I didn't like, and this one is certainly up there.
Now, considering I've already chosen my album of the year for this year, I don't really know where I would put this album. I'll play it safe by saying that this falls in my top 3 alongside Radiohead and The Pineapple Thief. Each album in my top 3 are in their own caliber of greatness, so it's hard to decide which is better. I would say that if anything, my top 3 consist of my album of the year, and two follow up albums of the year, just to ensure that people realize that I love each album fully.
In relation to their other work however, I really don't know where I'd put this album right now. I still have a love for Key and I listen to it almost non-stop still to this day, and I feel like Versus has the potential to be of that same caliber, if not more-so. It's certainly been able to grab me on my first listen, so I imagine that with every listen after this point, the album will only get better and better.
If it's not clear right now, I absolutely love this album. I've been waiting for it all year, and I'm so glad they decided to stream it two days early, because I don't know what I would have done had I not been able to listen to it soon. It's certainly worth your attention if you want to hear some post-rock done right.