You Say Party! We Say Die! - Lose All Time

Genre rock Publisher Paper Bag Records External Links Official You Say Party! We Say Die! Website Official Paper Bag Records

It is hard to deny that the latest trend of completely nonsensical band names has gotten a bit out of hand. We Say Party! You Say Die! lucks out in one area where other bands with similar monikers do not, they actually have a handful of decent tracks on their latest album. While YSP!WSD! often feels like they're hanging onto Pretty Girls Make Graves' apron strings with similar songs and a comparable musical approach, they could have picked a worse band to emulate.

"Five Year Plan" is not one of the strongest songs on the album for a variety of reasons. The slow opening and looped vocals stating, "this is a test" are only salvaged by a decent instrumental break before the vocals begin again. The vocals run throughout the song with a layer of distortion over them, which becomes irritating as the track progresses. The guitar and drum work are quite good but the vocals are too distracting to give one's full attention to the good aspects of this song.

"Monster" is an example of what YSP!WSD! does right on the album. The song still pulls in the dance sound present on "Five Year Plan" but doesn't include the same irritating loops or distortion. The vocals aren't grating and blend well with the instrumental aspects of the song, which is not always the case on other tracks. The track is proof that a YSP!WSD! song doesn't have to include the technological trickery and clichés in order for it to be a good song.

"Dancefloor Destroyer" is a completely different type of song from the rest on the album. With a delicate piano melody, the song has a haunting and beautiful quality to it. However, the strained and wheezy sounding vocals again get in the way of complete enjoyment of the song as happens on a number of other tracks on Lose All Time.

YSP!WSD!' s sophomore effort displays some good work, but it is inconsistent. If the band can become less reliant on effects added in the studio and learn to blend vocals with the instrumental parts, it could prove to be a strong third album. Lose All Time has moments of potential, but the overall result shows irregularities that may be problematic in some listeners' minds.