I Nine

I-Nine pave their own road, utilizing heartache and literary references as primary building blocks. On their debut Heavy Weighs the King (RCA), the South Carolina four piece crafts dream pop anthems that equally channel Avril Lavigne and Beach House. They essentially find the perfect middle ground between ethereal, indie rock and arena-ready pop. In a sense, it's intelligent pop. Think "pop" for the Barnes & Noble-set.

Fronted by charismatic frontwoman Carmen Keigans, I-Nine travel a diverse emotional spectrum. "Get Out" functions as an expulsion of post-breakup rage, while "Don't Wanna" posits whimsical, pop melodies and visual lyrics—involving carjacking of all things. Hey, how much is there to actually do in Columbia, South Carolina? That irreverent stream of consciousness is part of I-Nine's charm. Carmen's an extremely smart lyricist. Take "If this Room Could Move," which allows classic instrumentation and clever lines to literally propel a room into space. Of course, there's a huge hook to help everything fly, but the girl's got a damn good voice, and she knows how to use it.

"Black Hole" is a mellow, acoustic rumination on heartache that tells another story of leaving, something Carmen apparently knows a lot about. Meanwhile, the band also cranks out "Solar," a spacey and moody little jam that allows the I-Nine to show off their chops, while Carmen steers the sonic spaceship over brooding, syncopated guitars. The folky, cello-laden closer "Ickis Wish" strips away those tech-tendencies and allows the songwriting to shine through. It also shows some epic rock tendencies, incorporating acoustic guitar fireworks and orchestral passages to elevate the sound. I-Nine have crafted an extremely entrancing debut, and they have a very bright road ahead.

—Rick Florino
04.29.08