After several excellent singles unleashed earlier this year, 9 o’clock Nasty returns with another release that will especially appeal to all those longstanding punk rock fans. With its honest lyrics and catchy instrumentations, “People Pleaser” is one of those songs that immediately grabs you by the collar and refuses to let go. The song talks about the overwhelming feeling when whatever you do and how much effort you put into pleasing people, they will always be unsatisfied and disappointed by your efforts. Whether we’re talking about relationships, friendships, work, or anything else, it happens to people from all walks of life, and it certainly becomes annoying over time. 9 o’clock Nasty is one of those bands who will not remain quiet about injustices in life, and their song points out social issues with a healthy dosage of wit. They convey an important message about the world we’re living in with such sincerity, demanding more than necessary change in how we all perceive our roles in society. Sonically, the band uses post-punk sound as a perfect platform to deliver their point of view, but as usual, you’ll notice some other styler roaming from scratch to finish. There are additional sonic ingredients borrowed from classic punk rock, garage rock, alternative, and synth music elevating everything to new heights. They combine all these elements with such precision and finesse, constructing a luxuriant ambiance that meets all the trends in contemporary music production yet carries a good portion of the late seventies and early eighties post-punk sound. Of course, there is a more than necessary rawness, abrasive, and grittiness that resembles the nineties garage rock era, a detail that suits every section and instrumentation nicely. It’s a multilayered listening experience that will appeal not only to post-punk fans but also to anyone who appreciates a creatively assembled composition blended with a meaningful message.
The band doesn’t waste any time. “People Pleaser” commences with heavy rhythmic patterns based upon well-accentuated, flawlessly performed, expertly assembled, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics. You’ll notice how every hit of the snare, kick of the bass drum, splash of the cymbal, and accentuation of the tambourine acts as adequate rhythmic support to the remainder of the instrumentations. The experienced drummer also adds more detail and complexity to the ambiance, and he unquestionably understands the importance of his role in the band. Of course, this song wouldn’t sound so powerful without the equally incredible basslines. In this song, they contribute even more detail, groove, depth, and heaviness through catchy, memorable, engaging, intricate, vividly hearable, warm-sounding notes, elevating the remainder of the orchestrations to new heights while serving as a binding element between synths and drums. It’s also good to mention that 9 o’clock Nasty excludes guitars here, but it’s not like they need any, thanks to generous servings of catchy synth works. This track is fully stacked with various themes, melodies, ambiances, accentuations, and other sonic maneuvers, perfectly suiting the song’s atmosphere. Whether exploring polishes, clean, almost piano-sounding arrangements or levitating towards their signature abrasive maneuvers, 9 o’clock Nasty perfectly implements this instrument in every segment of the song. There are also additional vinyl scratching maneuvers that fulfill all free space while giving this track more exotic, experimental edge. As usual, vocals are the centerpiece of this song, elevating everything to new heights, commanding attention, and guiding the listening apparatus with precision and finesse. The band expertly stacked vocal layers, creating an almost anthemic vibe without spoiling the post-punk ambiance. Every detail has its place and purpose in this sonic equation, making “People Pleaser” such a memorable track.
With “People Pleaser,” 9 o’clock Nasty pushes the boundaries of post-punk sound. They replaced guitars with synths and crafted a catchy, memorable, engaging, and meaningful composition that points out flaws of modern society. This band never ceases to amaze with their innovative ideas and incredible musicianship, so that’s the case with “People Pleaser” as well. With all those perfectly layered vocal harmonies, impressive synth works, robust basslines, and detailed rhythmic patterns, they deliver a track that will immediately appeal to even the pickiest post-punk fans. “People Pleaser” is a must-listen if you’re looking for cleverly assembled and flawlessly performed music. Therefore, head to your favorite streaming platform and check it out.
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