YOU SAY PARTY! WE SAY DIE!

One of the unexpected highlights of the 2006 edition of South by Southwest was the frenetic Punk/Pop jangle-and-jitter of Vancouver's You Say Party! We Say Die!, a two-girl/three-guy quintet that evoked the darkest and coolest elements of the B-52s and Blondie, particularly in the twin vocals of frontwoman Becky Nincovic and keyboardist Krista Loewen. YSP!WSD!'s first two discs -- a self-released EP and their debut full-length, Hit the Floor! -- shimmied and shook with the ferocious energy of a young band howling out their message as if they might not get another chance. With their sophomore album, Lose All Time, YSP!WSD! show their maturity by darkening their hues even further, adding in a party-in-a-war-zone dissonance and desperation that suggests Siouxsie Sioux fronting Devo, especially on album opener "Five Year Plan," with its Punk air-raid insistence as Nincovic shrieks, "This is not a test," and its hyper-caffeinated Gang of Four-meets-Debbie-Harry follow-up, "Downtown Mayors Goodnight, Alley Kids Rule!" Most importantly, YSP!WSD! recognizes the value of dialing back the breakneck pace, with the relative quietude of "Monster" and the thoughtful piano Pop hymnal of "You're Almost There." With this kind of growth in just three years, there's no telling where You Say Party! We Say Die! will be by the time they churn out another album, but their work so far proves it will be essential and delightfully dark listening. (BB) Grade: B+