aaamusic | On 12, Feb 2011

Creeping onto the scene with glacial synth grind, the computerised beats of ‘American Trash’ feels like thirty seconds of dirty club euphoria, followed by what can only be described as what would happen if Trent Reznor grew up on a diet of house anthems. The track itself, with its hooky melody, madcap synthesised club loops and relentless dance beats feels like any of the rockier underground electro playlists, but the vocals are a direct homage to ‘With Teeth’ era Nine Inch Nails in their velvet bitterness, and lyrically, we have a scathing and to-the-point indictment of American pop culture.

I would hail Innerpartysystem as “the new NIN”, only they’re not. There’s a huge similarity in the abrasive use of the techno du jour as a launchpad for social commentary, and indeed ‘American Trash’ could be a ‘With Teeth’ b-side, but there’s a notably slicker approach, less industrial and more house, and the structure itself is far more palatable, with less experimentation and less overt attempts to unnerve the listener. That said, this is possibly the closest we’ve seen to something intriguing in the “accessible” American alt-rock scene for a while, and so I personally am looking to hear more from Innerpartysystem very soon.

Author: Katie H-Halinski