[ALBUM REVIEW] Verseatile “Good Mourning”

HypnoticAsia had the pleasure of reviewing Verseatile’s upcoming album, “Good Mourning” which is due for release on the 5th of August.

As you can see in the image above, the artist is ready to distribute his album and posters to the world. Not only does the album look amazing but it also sounds great. The songs and lyrics tell the story of his life and if you thought you learned a lot about Verseatile through the interview with us, you’ll learn even more through the upcoming 14-track album.

After listening to the album many times, you realize he has revealed some of these songs to the world in the past but now, it’s all together in one amazing album along with new songs. Every track on the album produced by his longtime producer J-Phonics and he did an amazing job with this project.

Verseatile of course writes all the songs and shows his amazing rap, lyrics and even his vocals through some of the tracks. He features fellow artists MC Jin and Traphik as well as some of his talented friends from church, Tim Pae and Suejin.

Check out the album review below and be sure to support Verseatile at KOLLABORATION LA on July 26, 2013.  Be sure to listen to his half of the album already uploaded through his YouTube and his 2nd half of the album will not disappoint you.

1. Loving You Is Wrong:  his song serves as an introduction to who Verseatile is as an artist. Verseatile raps over a sample of Luther Ingrams’ “If Loving You Is Wrong” with lyrics about his journey as a hip-hop artist. “Loving You Is Wrong” was released 11 months ago and is produced by J-Phonics who worked on Verseatile’s whole album “Good Mourning.” The song is a good choice to start off the 14-track album as it gives any new listeners a perspective on who Verseatile is. (Click HERE)

2. Good Man: “Good Man” samples Raphael Saadiq’s song of the same name. Yet again, Verseatile gives more insight on his beginnings with J-Phonics, his longtime producer. 5 Months ago, Verseatile released this song to his subscribers and announced it to be on his upcoming album. He says,“This song displays honest frustrations that one may have in their current circumstances, but ultimately realizing that they don’t have it so bad. Rather, they actually have it pretty good. I speak about my frustrations as an artist, where I feel like I’ve been paying dues, but feel like I’m not moving forward. Seeing younger up and coming artists moving ahead gets to me, but in the end, just as the hook says, I need to see how I got it good, man.”  You can feel the subtle aggression from the track which showcases Verseatile’s passion for his music. (Click HERE)

3. Tragic Hero: The song “Tragic Hero” is one of several songs on this album in which Verseatile shows more of his personal story.  The song touches on the death of his father and his grief. The emotion of the song is delivered perfectly by both the production and the guest vocals of Tim Pae.

4. Troubled Eyes: “Troubled Eyes” contains three narratives about young people who went through trouble and pain which had them doubting their faith. This is emphasized with the profound lyrics of James Blunt’s “Cry” which is sampled in this track.

5. Ride To Oblivion: This song “Ride To Oblivion” was revealed a year ago through his YouTube channel and features rapper MC Jin.  It samples “Use Me” by Garbage. The vulnerability of the previous songs is missing on this track which makes it seem out of place from the rest of the album. (Click HERE)

6. Good Mourning: “Good Mourning” as a phrase was defined by Verseatile as “Healthy Venting.” The song touches on addiction and vices he struggled with as well as the death of his friend and his personal family struggles. The song’s production and Verseatile’s vocals create a mellow sound that lend to the therapeutic tone of the song. This song title is also his album title giving it a certain importance to the album.

7. Beautiful Interlude: Introducing J-Phonics once again though the beginning of his song then going into the rap immediately. This tracks title is literally what it is; a “Beautiful Interlude” centering the album of “Good Mourning.” (Click HERE)

8. The Rebound: “The Rebound” is a fun R&B song that lifts the mood of this album. It’s a song about being interested in someone who just ended a relationship. This song features a rap by fellow artist Traphik and was revealed 2 years ago through his official YouTube channel, garnering over 22,000 views. Verseatile says, “The perfect summer jam for the ladies… and fellas! Summer time tends to set off a lot of break ups & rebounds, so this is a joint dedicated to those who have been in a situation like it!” (Click HERE)

9. Dreamchaser: Revealed 2 years ago through his YouTube channel, this track shows Verseatile again vulnerable, but this time from heartbreak.  What he thought he saw wasn’t real in his relationship but he still can’t stop from running after her.  Even though he uses a relationship, he talks about chasing a dream and the hardships of trying to get the dream he wants. (Click HERE)

10. Last Call: “Last Call” features vocals by his church friend, Suejin whose vocals are perfect for the track and match his deep lyrics and voice. The lyrics tell a heartfelt story about trying to be strong and the feeling of regret and loneliness. In a recent interview with HypnoticAsia, Verseatile says that this was one of the tracks he was most excited to release as he sees “Last Call” as “quite cinematic”.

11. Nostalgia: Another song off “Good Mourning” that Verseatile says he was excited to release is “Nostalgia.” You can hear his vocals on this track. “Nostalgia” is a song about reminiscing about a relationship that ended to the point of obsession.

12. Forever: “Forever” is a touching song about Verseatile’s mother and grandmother. One of the most personal songs on the album. His lyrics show what we all feel with our mothers where we don’t understand why they do things that embarrass us in front of everyone when we are young and then to growing up and missing everything they did.  Approximately 1 month ago, Verseatile revealed this track to the world though his official channel. (Click HERE)

13. Letting Go: This is another song off the album that Verseatile shows off his vocals. Despite the title of the track being “Letting Go”, the lyrics are actually the opposite of making sure to not let go. It’s lyrics show the expectancy of being let go and then the surprise of being loved and being held on to. This track gives hope to those listening.

14. Show is Over: With witty lyrics, he ends the album with a bang and closes the album with “Show is Over”.  He even mentions Epik High’s Tablo with the lyrics “makes me feel I’m so ‘epikly’ high like Tablo”.  This is definitely a great song to end the album.

Check out his recent interview with HypnoticAsia about his album and more!