Polly Scattergood - Polly Scattergood (Mute)
3/5
By: Roxy Fisher
Seeking: spendthrift waster with ethereal qualities.
In a parallel universe Alice fell down the rabbit hole, had a few dodgy experiences with some questionable men folk and clambered back up as a young quirky woman with a fractured soul and beautiful voice. May I introduce Polly Scattergood and her debut album.
First a little background. Polly is an alumni of the infamous Brit School - a fact you may want to ignore to embrace her album fully (not quite married to the idea of suffering and solitude now is it?)
Her time there was well spent though, and she wrote around 800 songs, emerging a rare and seemingly unspoilt talent. Polly then released three singles under the carful care and attention of Mute records and began building a buzz around her tunes with the aid of thoughtful yet nervy live appearances.
Then came the album. A self professed lover of words, Polly's basically put poetry to music, but you'll need to be in the right (and healthy) state-of-mind to appreciate her. Otherwise it'll go one of two ways - you'll dismiss her as yet another whiney singer-songwriter or just kill yourself. Yes, Polly's the ultimate little girl lost - but with the black thoughts of a tortured 18th century witch.
I can't help but think this one is destined for mixed reviews. It opens bravely (or foolishly) with 'I Hate The Way', released in September last year - a song that sounds worryingly generic at first and doesn't really grab you. Thankfully the predictable melodic pattern melts away after the first couple of verses and you are thrown into Polly's scary world of dark places - where you wouldn't be surprised to find lurking the odd eating disorder or some recreational cutting.
Things move on with her latest single 'Other Too Endless' and 'Untitled 27'. Both are sweet if not without slightly scary adolescent vibes. The latter is the one track on the album where the lyrics are overshadowed by the music. The ethereal, space-ride you can travel on with the piano/synth combo is brilliant - but Polly's poetry is eclipsed in its wake. Shame.
'Please Don't Touch' is a welcome upbeat interlude and even the dip in tempo for 'I Am Strong' is still more uplifting than the beginning of the album. Both tracks portray a stronger Polly at the point you begin to fear she is treading self-indulgent-weed water.
The second half of the album reads much like the first. 'Unforgiving Arms', 'Poem Song' and 'Breath In Breath Out' are not always a comfortable listen - at times beautiful but often taking in her favourite topics of loss, love and solitude. Poor Polly.
The slightly self-indulgent warble is replaced by 'Nitrogen Pink' and 'Bunny Club' - which lift the melody if not the mood. The first is a discordant synth-pop pick-up while the latter is a mix of innocent princess meets sleazy prostitute. 'Bunny Club's austere synth and drum machine sits behind Polly's x-rated London existence - victim but not as we know her.
Phew. Now I feel a bit like Alice. And I have no idea if I love Polly's debut or if I feel emotionally violated. It's a depressing rollercoaster and occasionally you want to get off and demand your money back. There are definitely unique and beautiful moments, but there are other times you wish she'd take her doctor's advice and sing a happy tune. Possibly the ultimate marmite album... but I'm still not sure.
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment