REVIEW: SELFISH THINGS – ‘LOGOS // ALTERNATIVE VERSIONS’; A SOMBER AND INTRIGUING SEQUEL

Toronto alternative rock group Selfish Things have just released an EP featuring three reimagined versions of songs off of their debut album Logos, as well as a Jon Bellion cover.

Normally one of Selfish Things’ more aggressive songs and driven by a catch riff, “Flood – Alternate Version” is subtly harmony-ridden and somber. Frank and openly condemning society’s innate hunger for destruction, lyrics like “I think I have answers, the world is a cancer,” grasp listeners’ attention and challenge them to contemplate the topic for themselves. An excellent opener for the EP, it will have listeners eager to hear what follows.

“Crutch – Alternate Version” assumes a brighter tone than the former track and is led by a bouncy piano riff. The instrumentation is far more stripped back than the original version off of Logos, and the vocals take center stage almost immediately. I found myself more compelled this time around by vocalist Alex Biro posing questions like “am I meant to dissipate? Should I bend before I break? Am I looking for an empty truth that never goes away?” to himself and to listeners.

On “Torn – Alternate Version,” string instruments complement the melancholy piano to deliver the most grandiose song on the entire EP. While I liked the original version of this song, I knew this was my favorite seconds in. Something listeners can enjoy most about this band (aside from having a name referencing a top tier Jimmy Eat World song) is how honest and introspective the lyrics are, and “Torn” is a perfect example of this kind of inner monologue.

“Stupid Deep” is a Jon Bellion cover that features Rosalind DeLost and First Ghost. Having prior read about this release, it was mentioned this is Selfish Things’ favorite cover they’ve ever done. Selfish Things execute their personal take on this song marvelously, and the vocal harmonies complement each other very well.

Upon listening to Logos for the first time, I was blown away by how thought provoking and powerful the album was, and I quickly decided it was one of my favorite releases of the year. On Logos // Alternate Versions, I was enthused to hear some of my favorite songs in a sonically different context. Overall, the EP is cohesive, the songs that were chosen for it all flow into one another pretty seamlessly, and the alternate musical adaptations serve to amplify every emotion conveyed in each song.

Personally, I tend to enjoy reimagined versions of songs because it allows musicians to showcase another side of their creativity their usual sound would normally take precedent over, and for the message of a song to better resonate with its listeners.

Stream Logos // Alternate Versions (and Logos while you’re at it!)