The Cult Of Music

A few weeks ago, Mike spotted the new album by The Polyphonic Spree in my list of current listening material and dropped me a line asking for an opinion. I had only heard it a couple of times at that point, so my snap response was "The Flaming Lips recording a Lightning Seeds-style World Cup song in the style of Feed The World with added pastoral wind instruments".

Since then I've listened to it a few more times and I'm not sure that it's as good as the above description might suggest. While I like an enigma and I'm intrigued by ambiguity, I don't think there's enough substance to this record to sustain my interest any further. I almost feel a sense of relief at sitting down to write this review, because it means I'll only have to hear the damn thing one more time.

There, I've said it. It's one of those records that I find "interesting" rather than "enjoyable". And there is definitely some interesting stuff to be found. One track (Section 4 - La La) sounds like a Hare Krishna drinking song and another (Section 7 - Hanging Around The Day Part 2) is Groove Armada merging into Lightning Seeds.

However, then there's the strangulated one at the beginning that sounds like The Logical Song being played at the wrong speed. And the one in the middle that sounds like the other one in the middle. And the one at the end that makes me wonder whether they've ever considered writing for children's TV.

A lot has been made of their euphoric, ecstatic joie de vivre, but I have to say that mainly I find the overall tone rather irritating. "Positive and uplifting" can be eloquent and intelligent while remaining impressionistic - take Jill Scott, for example - but many of this album's lyrics strike me as vacuous hippyshit, conveying absolutely nothing.

"Hey, it's the sun and it makes me shine" could be a good throwaway line in the middle of an energetic punk song, but repeated ad nauseam over a turgid, portentous, mushy background of indeterminate instruments it just makes me feel slightly queasy. Sid Vicious didn't die for this, surely? (Mind you, Sid was a nihilist so he probably died for nothing, if you see what I mean.)

Occasionally it all comes together for a minute or two and if the weather was nicer I might be more charitable. However, the best I can offer is that this is probably frolicking-in-the-Spring music and it's hopelessly out of place in October's pissing rain. It's faith, hope and charity music and right now I'm feeling decidedly agnostic.

Speaking of which, if cult-religious chic is the new black, please can we have more Temple Ov Pierced Psychik Yoof types and less Temple Ov Ye Olde Bearded Ones In Kaftans, please? Yes, readers, the overwhelming fact is that there's more than a whiff of Jethro Tull about The Polyphonic Spree and flutes have no place in my music collection.

Posted by Hg on Tuesday 15 October 2002 at 21:11.
Received 3 comments so far.

I find that the best thing to do, if surrounded by people giving off inexcusable positivity vibes, is to threaten to step on their toes repeatedly. Yes, you could threaten something far nastier, but believe me it wouldn't have nearly the same effect.

Comment by Vaughan on Wednesday 16 October 2002 at 10:20.

I think you may have just saved me £13.99.

I was stating to get suspicious that nothing other than the single was getting air play though.

Comment by Nic on Saturday 19 October 2002 at 15:56.

To be fair, though, they're tons better live. The album tries hard, but fails to really capture it. If they play near you, I'd highly recommend it.

Comment by Lex Luthor on Tuesday 22 October 2002 at 15:59.

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