Customer Reviews

Polly Scattergood [+digital booklet]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Polly Scattergood has an awesome voice,and very interesting lyrics(which I think are complex without being pretentious). She looks to be an artist where it pays to listen to the lyrics along with the music. My two favorites here are Nitrogen Pink, and Other Too Endless(this is very very catchy,be prepared to get it stuck in your head).

I forgot where I first heard of Polly Scattergood, which is her real name by the way. But I found a few clips out there on the Net and I was completely dazzled. Somehow Amazon got a few copies of this CD before its official US release and I was blessed to get one of them. I have listened countless times to this masterpiece but every time I listen I find a new miraculous bit of artistry.

Although it is only April, I expect that this will be my choice as CD of the year. Before I discovered Polly, I was absolutely certain that Steven Wilson's Insurgentes would be the best work of the year. And as brilliant as it is, it cannot compare to this.

Where to start? First, her voice. It can range from a girlish whisper to a genuine rasp as found on the surpassing "Poem Song." She uses it with consummate skill. She inhabits the worlds she creates with her amazing lyrics.

Next, the overall sound. This is a great, great production. There are lots of layers of sound on most cuts, but everything is as clear as can be. Her supporting musicians are terrific.

Third, the songs. These songs must be listened to, as they cannot be described in words. They are brilliant, both lyrically and musically. Polly is the equal of anyone going today. There have been a lot of people comparing her to Kate Bush and Tori Amos, both of whom I adore, and neither of whom can come close to this 21 year olds accomplishments.

I could go on for days raving about this CD, I really could. I could go song by song. But I won't. Just buy this CD. It is a totally enjoyable work of incredible genius. It really is. I just cannot believe my ears and the joy it brings to my heart.

Thanks, Polly.

This is my first music review. I don't know how qualified I am to review music, per se, but I am listening to this CD even as I type this and just have an unstoppable compulsion to share my feelings about it.

Every song is like a little novel [or perhaps a film]. They're filled with specific, unique imagery and Scattergood has a highly emotive, very vulnerable, delivery. The combined effect is very moving. More than merely a singer, she is a compelling storyteller. It all makes me want to know more and hear more.

This is a really impressive debut.

I absolutely love this CD. In fact I have played it so many times that it is starting to skip in parts. It has been a long time since I found a CD that I could play over and over again without getting bored. Polly is a brilliant song write and I can't wait until she puts out another CD.

Polly Scattergood's self-titled debut album plays like you're eavesdropping on a confessional phone call. Her battered love life is strewn across the album's ten tracks and Scattergood sways from victim to aggressor as the music shifts from quiet to loud in many if not all of the tracks. Scattergood has obviously been taking notes from her predecessors including Reznor, Amos and Bush on how to build a dynamic song.

However, her stylized storytelling doesn't work well on this album as every song carries the same dramatic weight as the next. There's sonic variety on the album but the sameness in tone and delivery grates at times. After several listens, it's hard to differentiate songs from each other in both subject matter and delivery. Given time to develop her craft, Polly Scattergood may develop into a stunning songwriter. Key tracks on this album include "Nitrogen Pink" and "I Hate The Way."