The boys from I.Inside have worked hard to put out their EP, The Mold that Shapes Us. It is a very well put together record that shows their hard work and determination in putting out an album that is commercially friendly and also shows of their talents as musicians. The album is fuelled by ska/dub/punk and they sound much like bands who have used this combination in the past, Sublime and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The song “Waves” is very reminiscent of Sublime with ska guitars, distorted sounds and light drumming. David, the singer has a very appropriate voice to match this sound, as he half raps half sings his way through this tune. The overall effect of “Waves” is a song that is mellow and for people who enjoy bands like Sublime would love to dance and move to this particular piece of music. Like many songs on this album the lyrics to this song provide a very universal commentary on girls and the art of relationships.
A harder song on the record, “Tickets are Sold Out”, sounds a lot like Linkin Park, with more heavy guitar and louder drums. David sings and screams while still half rapping through this song about bands selling out and loosing the truth about the music. It borders on nu-metal and I’m sure many kids at their shows enjoy head banging to this song.
I.Inside keeps their sound fairly similar from one song to the next and are quite talented with their instruments. For their first album their talent does show through and they definitely show who their influences are through the sound of their music. The album seemed slightly tedious and reminded me a lot of things that have been done in the past. However for fans of bands such as Sublime, Linkin Park and 311 this would be a wonderful new spin on old favourites.
