So, have you ever listened to a project that makes you want to run through a brick wall, but in a really energetic and yet cool way? That’s exactly what I PLEAD INSANITY does.
unpolished* on their debut EP give us a six-track riot grrrl-infused adrenaline shot straight to the face, except the syringe is also screaming at you about dread, bad relationships, and the overwhelming urge to just let loose and lay waste to something.
This thing is absolutely dripping with raw feminine rage, distortion-heavy guitar work, and just enough polish in the mixing to make every snarl and drum crash hit with precision. It channels the unhinged energy and DIY punk ethos of bands like Hole and Bikini Kill to name a few, along with a good amount of that early-2000s alt-rock bite. It’s a rare find: a project that honors the gritty, rebellious roots of early feminist punk but refuses to drown in lo-fi fuzz for the sake of nostalgia. Instead, each track brims with sharp, deliberate intensity, balancing garage-rock edge with a modern clarity that makes every snarl, riff, and drum hit land with force.
The production is polished but never overproduced, allowing the natural grit and fury of the music to shine through. The aggression never feels chaotic in the sense that it sounds like disarray or something, the melodies cut through the noise and the general mixing and mastering is polished without sanding down the jagged edges that make I PLEAD INSANITY so electrifying.
It all kicks off with “copy/paste”, an opener that wastes no time throwing you headfirst into a wall of punchy drums and distorted, attitude-drenched vocals. It’s loud, it’s urgent, and it demands your full attention. Think Live Through This-era Courtney Love, but with a modern, sharpened edge. By the time “hollybaby” rolls in, the band’s knack for anthemic, singalong choruses are undeniable. The guitars bite hard, the drums crash with precision, and the lyrics drip with defiant wit. The track sounds like it’s from the same The Cardigans album featuring their second hit song My Favourite Game, and I mean that in the best ways imaginable.
Personal standout track “i swore an oath to protect the constitution” (yes, that’s the actual title) is pure alt-rock grunge incarnate, complete with attitude-ridden guitar riffs and structure that feels like it’s a long-lost song from The White Stripes. It’s fiery, anthemic and tailor-made for a sweaty, cathartic mosh pit. The guitars bite, the drums crash, and the chorus is practically begging for a sweaty, screaming singalong. It’s the kind of track that feels like it belongs in a late- ‘90s or early-2000s indie film right before the protagonist makes a life-altering decision they will absolutely regret.
If you have even the slightest interest in punk, grunge, or just really well-crafted angry music, I PLEAD INSANITY is required listening. This is the kind of debut that makes you feel something, whether that something is the urge to dance, scream, or flip off an ex is entirely up to you.
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for publications in the US and former lead writer of Atop The Treehouse. Reviews music, film and TV shows for media aggregators.
