Albums

Innerpartysystem - The Download EP

Jorge Costa 17/02/2008

Rating: 1.5/5

While this EP may point to Innerpartysystem having a rather dull musical career churning out emo-flecked dance-rock, what really gets my goat about these Pennsylvanian newcomers is their rather snobbish and simplistic attitude towards the dance music that they, nevertheless, have hypocritically hijacked to construct the six songs presented here. It is even more infuriating that their press-release proceeds to then name-check Authechre, Chemical Brothers and Squarepusher as influences when this quartet provide no indication that they have ever heard of them!

Well, I'll give lead single 'Don't Stop' the benefit of the doubt considering that it at least tries to employ Authechre's fragmented electro-panoramas with its manic, surround-sound sequencing. They don't make a return in the remaining five tracks, choosing instead to lean against cold, desperately derivative beats that makes one think why they even bothered in the first place. In effect, instead of trying to raise themselves above “mindless dance music”, they end up joining its ranks, but without any fun involved. The band's po-faced approach to these songs just makes Innerpartysystem sound like Blaqk Audio's repressed fuck-buddy, running away from any kinky, hedonistic campiness like a Goth fleeing the first rays of morning sunlight.

They're better when they play about with Nine Inch Nail's sound to create heavy-guitar driven epics as in 'Heart Of Fire' which sees an anxious electric guitar fighting off vicious buzz synths, suiting the song's lyrics of a relationship built on lies simply because its easier thing to do. Elsewhere, Patrick Nissley's attempts at sounding intelligent fail miserably and when he sings in his indistinguishable every-American-teen-band vocals “Now worship me and never stop….you are down on your kness begging me for more”, he just ends up sounding like a megalomaniac who just wants his cock-sucked, pronto.