A flurry of lively violins, fragmented guitar lines, and energetic percussion surrounds “Tinnitus”, the punchy art-rocker from Brooklyn-based group I’m in You. Their description of “Tinnitus” reads somewhat like a thesis, calling it “an epic alternate-dimension club hit about social defeat, in which minimal synth-pop alternates with dissonant noisescapes (courtesy of violinist Erica Dicker) to illustrate the rapidly phasing cycles of inconsequential hope and despair that define late-capitalist human existence.” The track is more concise in its effectiveness than the latter part of that description, although the opening line – “I wanna die in a young and handsome body / I could change my mind if you could change it for me,” – certainly pokes fun at the modern age and its capricious yearning for superficial greatness.
The track’s musical elements are a whirlwind of various forces, with Erica Dicker’s strings playing the most dynamic role. The violins expand from smooth old-timey accompaniments in the verses to rock-centric frenetic whimpers during the bridge and chorus, an excellent production technique that helps guide the fleeting driving melody of “Tinnitus”. The addition of string-reflecting synths during each instrumental bridge adds another dimension; the guitar tone fluctuations become especially prominent here, and during the final minute-and-a-half, where new string arrangements help comprise a very deserving grand finale. Released just last month, “Tinnitus” shows that I’m in You have what it takes to be the next Brooklyn-based buzz group.
