Twenty years after Saliva made its major label debut (and second overall album) with Every Six Seconds, the band is revisiting that record with its new EP, Every Twenty Years. The six-song record features a handful of re-worked versions of songs from Every Six Seconds that make up the majority of the record. Those songs are certain to engage and entertain listeners in their own way. They will be discussed shortly. While the majority of the songs featured in Every Twenty Years are lifted from Every Six Seconds, there are two songs that were not featured in that album. Their inclusion in the record adds their own level of appeal to the EP. They will be discussed a little later. The performances of the updated songs put the finishing touch to the EP and will also be discussed later. When this aspect is considered along with the songs themselves and the two bonus tracks, the EP in whole proves itself a presentation that any Saliva fan will enjoy.
Saliva’s brand new EP, Every Twenty Years is a tribute to the band’s debut album, Every Six Seconds, that despite its brief nature, will appeal widely to the band’s established audience base. That is due in part to the EP’s featured songs. The majority of the record’s songs (four in all) are lifted from Every Six Seconds. They are ‘Your Disease,’ ‘Click, Click, Boom,’ ‘After Me,’ and ‘Greater Than/Less Than.’ ‘Your Disease’ and ‘Click, Click, Boom’ were both hit singles spawned from Every Six Seconds. “Greater Than/Less Than’ meanwhile was a carryover from the band’s self-titled 1997 debut album. ‘After Me’ garnered its own appeal among audiences following the release of Every Six Seconds, too. This collection of songs is a brief tribute to the legacy of Every Six Seconds, but considering the popularity of the songs’ source material, these re-worked renditions are certain to garner renewed interest in the band’s noted major label debut. That in turn makes these primary songs a good starting point in examining this EP’s appeal. The two bonus tracks that accompany the EP’s primary content build on the appeal of those works to make the EP increasingly engaging and entertaining.
The two bonus songs featured in Every Twenty Years are a re-worked take of the band’s 2001 cover of Henry Mancini’s ‘Theme From Peter Gunn’ and a cover of Soundgarden’s hit 1994 single, ‘Spoonman.’ Saliva’s take on ‘Spoonman’ largely stays true to its source material, which will appeal to fans of both bands. Front man Bobby Amaru’s vocal delivery holds its own here against that of the late great Chris Cornell while his band mates – Paul Crosby (drums), Brad Stewart (bass), and Wayne Swinny (guitar, vocals) — are just as applause worthy in their own performances here.
Saliva’s take on ‘Theme From Peter Gunn’ was not featured as part of Every Six Seconds despite also being released in 2001. It was re-named ‘Spyhunter’ as it was featured in the soundtrack to the 2001 reboot of the vintage video game “Spyhunter.” Both versions clock in at four minutes, 22 seconds in length, so needless to say not much has changed between the original and this song. The variations are in fact that subtle. Considering that the original rendition is likely difficult to find today other than through YouTube, having this version included in an official Saliva record makes for even more appeal here.
Speaking of variations, the variations between the original and updated takes of the songs from Every Six Seconds make for their own appeal, too. That speaks to the importance of the band’s performance of said songs. While there are many similarities between the original and updated version of ‘Click Click Boom’ for instance, there are also clear differences. The differences are most clear from the second verse on. They come in part through the vocal delivery of current front man Bobby Amaru and former front man Josey Scott. Amaru’s vocal delivery style is noticeably heavier heavier than that of Scott in the verses while the two have roughly similar styles in the more melodic choruses. In terms of the instrumentation here, there are clear moments throughout when Swinny’s guitar riffs are heavier than in the original. There are also certain effects used here that were not used in the original composition. All things considered, the band’s updated take of ‘Click, Click, Boom’ is actually an improvement over the original work and just part of the proof of the importance of the band’s performances here.
Just the two renditions of ‘Click, Click, Boom’ are relatively similar, save for some subtle variances, so are the two renditions of ‘Your Disease.’ The updated take featured in Every Twenty Years is different from its source material primarily in the fact that it is more amped up in the verses than the original take. The choruses meanwhile are just as controlled and melodic. There is a slight change in the guitar arrangement in the song’s chorus refrain that adds a nice touch, too. Other than that and the noted heavier approach to the song’s verses, the song’s update is largely the same as the original. That marriage of something old and something new (yes, that awful wedding pun was intended) make this presentation yet another example of what makes the band’s performances of the updated songs so important to the EP’s presentation. The band’s performance in the updated take of ‘Better Than/Less Than’ is yet another example of the importance of the band’s performances here.
Saliva’s updated take of ‘Better Than/Less Than’ is just as subtle in its performance as the band’s performance in the other examined updates. Swinney’s guitar line is once more amped up here in comparison to the band’s initial performance. The result is that the song’s distinctly Alice in Chains style sound and style is even more evident here than in the original. That is not to say that it was not evident in the original work. It is just so much more pronounced in this case. Taking this update into account along with the performances in the other examined updates and that in the band’s updated take of ‘After Me,’ the importance of the band’s performances here become that much clearer. When they are considered along with the EP’s main body and its bonus songs, the whole makes this EP a mostly enjoyable presentation that will tide audiences over until the band releases its next album.
Saliva’s brand new EP Every Twenty Years is a presentation that will appeal to the band’s established audience base. That is due in part to its featured songs. The songs are for the most part, lifted from the band’s 2001 album, Every Six Seconds. However, there are two “bonus” tracks added to the mix to enhance the EP’s presentation. One of the songs is an updated take of a cover that the band recorded for a game that was itself an update of a video game that was popular in the 1980s. How is that for a little six degrees of separation? The other song is a cover of a song made famous by a famed grunge act and is just as engaging and entertaining as that original. The band’s performances of the updates rounds out the EP’s most important elements. The performances are subtle yet still heavy updates of the band’s own original songs that will keep listeners engaged and entertained in their own right. Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the EP. All things considered, they make the EP a work that is certain to tide audiences over until the band releases its next album. Every Twenty Years is available now.
More information on Saliva’s new EP is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Website: https://salivaofficial.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Saliva
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OfficialSaliva
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