You Say Party! We Say Die! Issue #33

Lose All Time (Paper Bag)

By Kim Newman
Published: September 1st, 2007 | 12:00am

Vancouver’s You Say Party! We Say Die! is a far cry from its fellow countrymen who have crossed the border. Instead of dreamy orchestral pop of Stars, Broken Social Scene, and Arcade Fire, YSP! WSD! is raging dance-punk along the lines of Pretty Girls Make Graves — not surprising as that band, too, hailed from the Pacific Northwest.

Sure, frantic beats, pulsing guitars, retro keyboards, and shouted vocals are becoming an all-too familiar formula, but YSP! WSD!’s sophomore effort, Lose All Time, never lets up with its explosive and gritty beats — you’ll probably throw out your back trying to keep up with this quintet’s energy. Even the softer, mid-tempo pop of “Monster” is bouncy and pogo-able, especially when the band chants its chorus behind lead vocalist Becky Ninkovic. It’s a delightful pop track that showcases skills beyond angry hyper-beats. But if you’re looking for the band’s centerpiece sound, check “Like I Give A Care,” a title that says it all just as the pummeling guitars beckon you back to the mosh pit to rage “Shut out the world / Shut it out / Shut it out.”

What’s most striking about YSP! WSD! is Ninkovic’s strange amalgamation of PJ Harvey’s controlled dispassion mixed with Karen O’s breathlessness. Plus, her mesmerizing alto is versatile and can present a softer fragility as demonstrated on “Dancefloor Destroyer,” a stripped piano ballad that comes out of nowhere to nearly end the disc.

YSP! WSD! isn’t dreamy but a party ‘til the end.