Crisis Actress Releases New EP, Party Rock (Review)

Former South Carolina, current Los Angeles-based band Crisis Actress released a new EP last week called Party Rock, a three-track exploration of genres that almost becomes an exercise in eclecticism. This is the second release from the band, following their debut EP Blown Out released in April 2022.

Crisis Actress consists entirely of former South Carolina residents and affiliates of SC bands like Canopy Hands, Future Trunks, Inn Vinegar, and Solar Punches. This includes drummer Dante Brown, vocalist Harrison Carr, guitarists Brooks Hannon and Tessa Hickman, keyboardist/vocalist Max Hudson, and bassist Jesse Shafer.

Just a short three songs, Party Rock allows the band to experiment freely without reaching the point of being draining. The result is an interesting release that finds itself exploring many different worlds in under eight minutes.

Track one, “Boat Guy” is rooted mainly in electronic music, feature glitched-out synth and a thumping bass. However, we also get hints of hip-hop in this one, done in a way that brings to mind the DIY style of Beck.

Next, we reach “Dumpster”, with elements of punk rock, shoegaze, and screamo. It’s fast-paced and it’s a totally different experience than “Boat Guy”, but somehow still manages to fit.

Finally, “Need A Smoke” wraps things up with an experimental pop sound that has the most lighthearted feel of all, but still maintains a wild experimental feel. The whole EP seems to be influenced by Animal Collective, but this song especially seems to tap into that odd psychedelic detachment that AC does so well.

It’s not clear to me whether this level of experimentation combined with flipping styles on a dime would be sustainable for the duration of a full-length album, but it is an engaging idea thus far, and we look forward to hearing what they come up with next.

Listen to Party Rock by Crisis Actress below.