Innerpartysystem – Innerpartysystem

Dance the Manic Dance

Rising in 2008 to much acclaim, Innerpartysystem consists of Patrick Nissley on vocals, Jarred Piccone on drums, and Chris Barman rocking the guitar and synth. In the short time since their formation, the band has built a solid reputation for wildly entertaining live performances with captivating lights and videos. Their style on their self-titled debut is what is currently being defined as “modern rock,” sounding like the instrumentals of Orgy with the vocals of All American Rejects while remaining very original.

A little number called “Die Tonight Live Forever” starts with silence building up to a heavy droning bass that grows until it pulses to the pop vocals of Nissley: “You can feel the pounding wrapped around your chest/Nothing’s too excessive when you’ve got nothing left.” The guitar and drums kick in, forming a driving and highly danceable rhythm. The next track, “Last Night in Brooklyn,” borrows the same approach with a reverberating synth beat that appears after moments of silence. The high BPM of whirling electronics are complementary to the half beat drumming and guitar, all wrapped up in the engaging and emotional vocals, a technique they employ throughout the album.

As the album comes to the final stretch, the tempo and BPM of the songs noticeably dive with slower ballad type songs like penultimate track “What We Will Never Know.” Appropriately closing the album is “Home”, which is made up of three minutes of light distortion, as if unwinding after a long session of booty shaking.

Forging a sound that is like an aphrodisiac for dancing, Innerpartysystem has built a good cornerstone for their music career with this self titled album. Whether you enjoy dance music or emo, this Innerpartysystem is a crowd pleaser for most. Watch this band, as it will be very interesting to see where they take their career next.