Reviews
The I Spies
Into the Night
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Dancable, catchy and infectious: The I Spies' album In The Night is a frenzy of "just got to get up and move" post-punk-pop. This local quartet has created a tight, slick-sounding debut, which flies along at a break-neck pace, and tries to lyrically tackle the state of society.
"I (Heart) the Middle Mind" is easily the best track on the disc. It could become a dance anthem for the indie-punk-rock set (Dance Cave anyone?). The song is full of gritty guitars, solid punk drumming; and Johhny Kay's vocals contain the requisite punk whine. Yet, the song is so darn catchy that it comes across as lighthearted pop. The I Spies know how to craft a good hook. The chorus to this song, "cause we're so, so slow and the middle mind's all we know", is a perfect example of their skill in action. The chorus is even sung by a crowd, creating the perfect opportunity for a dance floor sing-a-long.
A quick google search for the phrase "middle mind" points to a book by Curtis White called The Middle Mind: Why Americans Don't Think for Themselves. This issue seems to be at the heart of The I Spies' message, preached from their punk-rock soapbox. The sugary-sweet predictability of the music runs an (intentionally?) ironic parallel to the album's lyrics, which exhort listeners to "save themselves" and appear to constitute a twelve-track rant about the failings of modern western society.
"Spare Your Secrets" sounds like it could be part of a rock opera. The song is big and dramatic: ranging from a quiet piano and vocal intro, to a huge chorus, and back down to an interlude composed of cute harmonized "bum-bums". Another interesting moment is the delightful change of pace provided by the blues-inspired harmonica and guitar parts in "To the City", a song that hops along with handclaps and tight drumming.
The second last track on the album has the second best hook: "save yourself from yourself, save yourself from yourself". There is power in a catchy line and it's a hardened listener who can go away without that line repeating in their head. The song swings along with a fifties feeling, complete with a jaunty horns part. It's rounded out with pretty guitars and interesting synth sounds.
This is good pop music- well put together and right in line with the current dance-rock trend (The Artic Monkeys, The Killers, except cuter). It's full of perfect little rock your heart out moments and boasts the cutest album cover to come along in a while. However, the album's excessive catchiness and singabilty are the very things that some listeners will hate. While In The Night is very well done, there is also nothing particularly exciting or musically revelatory about it. If punk-pop is your thing, then this album is for you; if you're looking for something on the cutting edge, perhaps you should look elsewhere.
Score: 6.8
- Lisa Gasson