Since compact discs have become expendable vessels of digital information, destined for upload then discarded, CDs worth cherishing are now increasingly rare. You won’t throw away Versus, a collaborative project of give-and-take covers by Borrisokane and like-minded locals, lovingly housed in a die-cut wooden box containing six EPs that can be puzzled into a visual collage. Each extended play features art-pop specialists Borrisokane covering a contributing band that returns the favor. Darkwave ensemble Knifight’s powerhouse cover of its sponsors’ “Victoria, Please” stands single-worthy, while Home by Hovercraft takes the host band’s “Thank You for Being So Nice and Cooperative” into dramatic pop territory. Major Major Major ups the energy with a garage version of “Amelia Fucking Earhart.” Vice versa, the diverse Borrisokane can be found roaring through Young Tongue’s excellent “Family Happiness” and then sedate on Yum’s “Medicine and Tea” with Rebecca Asuan-O’Brien, one of Borrisokane’s three vocalists, showcasing. Each disc also features unreleased tracks, the best of which, Pageantry’s “Soft Circles,” recalls the Cure on an Afro-beat kick. This Herculean, 26-track effort plays out more hand-in-hand than head-to-head. Perhaps it should be titled Unity.
This article appears in November 28 • 2014.