XXXX-rated ode to love

The voice of Becky Ninkovic pierces through the new You Say Party! We Say Die! album backed by dark ’80s pop instrumentals. The opening track “There is XXXX (Within My Heart)” as well as the album’s cover which features a heart in the center, suggest that this album should be called “Love,” but instead every time XXXX appears, it is replacing the word “love.”

The biggest surprise here is the album’s dark and haunting tones, which are not present in the band’s previous album, “Loose All Time.” The band’s insistence on the use of ’80s synth-pop is disappointing, although it does add to the darkness.

These aspects do not make “XXXX” bad — they make it more interesting. The use of infectious hard-rock guitar riffs and bass lines displays an enormous amount of energy and strength.

The melodies and harmonies produced by lead singer Ninkovic are beautiful and fittingly painful. You Say Party’s punk and dance roots are still present in the vocal style and drumming style, but their sound has evolved to create “XXXX.”