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Innerpartysystem

The Download EP

(Stolen Transmission; US: 2 Oct 2007; UK: Available as import)

On this re-release of Innerpartysystem’s debut (and so far only) release The Download EP, the one thing I can’t fault the band for is their energy. Every minute of the 24, or so, on the EP is just bouncing through the speakers with the energy of a thrown superball in a tiny room. That said, there’s a crisis of identity happening on The Download EP, an inconsistency of vision that dooms the release to obscurity. Picture The Killers for a second. Now, imagine that Brandon Flowers’ name is actually Biff Johnson, and his personality is that of an iron-pumping badly-stereotyped frat boy. That’s the impression you get from The Download EP. Sometimes, lead vocalist Patrick Nissley just can’t stop yelling at you over walls of guitars and pounding beats. Other times, he goes the heavily pitch-corrected route, and sometimes he sings sensitive (but still propulsive) songs that carry an unforgivable air of insincerity to go along with their majesty. It’s never clear whether they want to make angry music or pretty music, but they don’t do either with any particular success. Maybe you’ll like the sub-Nine Inch Nails stomp of new track “Don’t Stop” well enough, or maybe you’ll prefer the leering majesty of “The Way We Move”, but the chance that you’ll like both is awfully small. Apparently, Innerpartysystem has an album coming out soon—hopefully, they’ll have picked a sound by then.

Rating:

Mike Schiller is a software engineer in Buffalo, NY who enjoys filling the free time he finds with media of any sort -- music, movies, and lately, video games. Stepping into the role of PopMatters Multimedia editor in 2006 after having written music and game reviews for two years previous, he has renewed his passion for gaming to levels not seen since his fondly-remembered college days of ethernet-enabled dorm rooms and all-night Goldeneye marathons. His three children unconditionally approve of their father's most recent set of obsessions.


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Innerpartysystem - Don't Stop (Live at CMJ 2007)
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