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Like Fugazi, Soul Side were another D.C. band whose non-hardcore take on punk rock was matched with socially-conscious, introspective lyrics. I think my first exposure to them was through their "Hot Bodi-Gram" LP, which still holds up as one of my favorites, but this single has three solid jams.
"Bass" starts off with a burst of industrial noise followed by a staccato descending bass riff. The bass is joined by a simple drum beat and a chugging guitar part that breaks down into feedback before it all comes crashing back together to be joined by Bobby Sullivan's impassioned vocals ("We've got to look past inside you - past inside me") and an inspiring, fist-in-the-air sort of riff. It continues in this way for the rest of the song, alternating between the simple verses and heartfelt choruses.
Flipping it over, we start off with "103", which has a similar feel to "Bass", though with a little extra funky bass thrown in for kicks (a common crime in the early 90's for sure). This may even showcase Sullivan's vocals better than the other side.
Speaking of, we then get a live recording of "Otherside", which is a little higher-energy than the other songs on the record. It's also a little more straightforward, which makes sense, as the original version was on their debut album, and this record nicely mixes their earlier punk stuff with the "artier" (for lack of a better word) style they would explore later.
Three-fourths of the band went on as Girls Against Boys (minus Sullivan, but with the addition of the producer of "Hot Bodi-Gram"), and kept exploring similar territory while maturing - perhaps getting less "punk" in the process, but still creating interesting music.
