Album Review

Another year and another absolutely pristine reunion album from a seemingly left for dead 90’s alt-rock casualty. The band reborn this time is math-rock vets, Polvo. Theirs was a genre which constantly challenged listeners in much the same way that Sonic Youth fans were always put to the test. The world of Polvo was not one of verse/chorus/verse/guitar solo/bridge. It was more like bridge/bridge/bridge. Many of the song sections wouldn’t seem to make sense on paper, and I guess that’s why they call it “Math-Rock.” You need a calculator to figure out some of these moves.

The band formed in Chapel Hill, N.C. in 1990. Today’s Active Lifestyles, released three years later, is an apt summation of the original Polvo sound. It veers from slacker Pavement-isms, to angular Fugazi-style attacks, to hints of Indian music, to straight up noise. It is a lot to digest, and is undoubtedly an acquired taste. It certainly reeks of the era though, so if you’re into Archers of Loaf, Butterglory, Chavez, Slint or Silkworm, you may want to check out some of Polvo’s old albums. The first two were released on the then fledgling Merge Records before they made the jump to Touch and Go in 1996.

Similar to another great new millennium comeback, Mission of Burma, the resurrected Polvo seem even more focused in their vision and attack. If anything, In Prism feels like a rock album executed with the utmost of confidence. All the slacker touches have been stripped away, providing a clear path to a lean, mean rocking machine. But even though there is plenty of crunch to go around, this is certainly no AC/DC album. Take “City Birds,” for example. It plays out like one of George Harrison’s Indian influenced songs on steroids – dodging and weaving from one vocal passage to another via a series of ingeniously crafted instrumental sections. The original guitar hook keeps popping up in a subtle way as the song slowly builds to it’s triumphant finale around the five minute mark. An incredible piece of work and easily one of the best songs of 2009.

Elsewhere, opener “Right the Relation” immediately sets the tone for the remainder of the album. It begins with a monster riff and some smashing cymbal work – the latter courtesy of new drummer, Brian Quast. And speaking of Mission of Burma, this one sounds right in line with what they’ve been putting out since 2002’s OnOffOn – a meat and potatoes rock song with some odd twists thrown in to mix things up a bit. Polvo has a bit of an edge over Burma with how far they can push the songs since the band has two skilled guitarists at its disposal. So here you get plenty of fireworks with some nice intertwining guitar lines, and even a monster solo thrown in for good measure.

The most remarkable aspect of “Right the Relation” is that it is just over five and a half minutes in length. It certainly doesn’t feel that long or drawn out. This seems to be one of the best traits of Polvo – since they have so many different sections (many of which aren’t repeated more than once) the extended tracks tend to avoid the boredom factor. Just check out the second song, “D.C. Trails,” which begins as a mellow choogler, but somehow concludes as a two minute long searing psychedelic guitar-driven acid trip. That one’s about six minutes in length, which is par for the course on this release. The longest song is just under nine minutes, while the shortest is a paltry three minutes and 38 seconds.

This entire record is unbelievably solid, even though it can be a bit overwhelming at first. Just give it time and let it sink in. I’ve had this one for about two months now, and I still pop it on a couple times a week. It’s definitely my current choice for album of the year, and probably comeback of the century. Reunion albums are usually met with skepticism. Fans are uncertain as to whether or not their beloved bands of yore will be able to recapture the magic they once so easily set forth to magnetic tape. Polvo seem to have thrown nostalgia out the window with this one, and have effectively redefined their original run as time spent in the minor leagues.

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