Customer Reviews

Summerland

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If you couldn't handle Polly's debut album, you probably shouldn't bother with this one. Polly's soundscapes are as eerie, her playing as amazing (bordering on Hendrixian), and her poetic subjects as obscure. This time around, there are some slight nods at more "commercial" sounds, especially in her cover of Thomas Dolby's classic "One of Our Submarines", which Polly casts, after an unaccompanied vocal verse, in minimalist bass and drum backing with her flute handling the original synth lead lines. Summerland also dives deeper into the Celtic waters which were hinted at on her first album - not musically, but lyrically, with songs about the obscure Irish death god ("Don Dorcha's Revel") and the much-sought-after Deirdre ("Blood Sugar"), as well as a Gaelic tune by Diarmit MacDiarma ("Gaoth Barra ndTonn"). One of the most interesting tunes on the album is the opener "Aurora", which describes the return of the dawn goddess as a jet plane(!). Again, Polly does what only she can - or perhaps is willing to - do.

Scott's picks: "Don Dorcha's Revel", "Pelen Tan"

Unique and uninhibited by the pop and main stream music industry, Polly Moller has released her second compact disk. As with her first album, she is blending progressive, psychedelic, Celtic, and ambient music with psychedelic and mythic lyrics to create an intriguing mental landscape. Each of Polly's CDs are abrupt introductions to a world of imagery, both surreal and thought provoking.

In her most recent CD, _Summerland_, the musical influences are more clear than on her previous album, _Taste_The_Wall_. Although I did enjoy the artistic cacophony of the earlier album, the new works are easier to relax with, listen to, and absorb on a mental level. The relationship of the bass (played by Jordan Avon of Oblivious Scientist), drums, and the lead flute complement the sung and spoken lyrics exquisitely, creating a fitting coating to help the listener ingest the story. The mood and tone of each song seems to fit the story associated with it.

There may not be any one track quite as harsh or as driving as "keeny zuke", "aerodynamic", or "taste the wall" on this new album, but the best stories from the last album are matched on almost every track of _Summerland_ as the listener is mesmerized by the overall theme. "Io" is the Greek tragedy of a maiden transformed into a cow who climbs Mount Olympus to seek help from Zeus and Hermes. "The Song of Coinchend Cennfada" is a tune with hard rhythms depicting the Celtic saga of Art McConn from the antagonist's point of view.

Music lovers who enjoy progressive rock and ambient techno are likely to enjoy the musical styling of _Summerland_. Those who appreciate avant-garde vocals will enjoy the vocal styling used on Polly Moller's albums. Fans of Miranda Sex Garden and His Name Is Alive are likely to enjoy the blend of instruments used for this new album, as well as the artistic cacophony of the first album.

Daniel Sanford -freelance reviewer