Interscope Records
1997
C'est La Vie
About This Album
Polara's full-length bow in major-label life starts out with one heck of a noisy bang on "Transformation" -- Ed Ackerson, in particular, sounds like he wants to get some major sneers out to compete with Liam Gallagher -- and with that the quartet makes a partially over-the-top but still enjoyable hour's worth of songs. Given that the band toured with Spiritualized a couple of years beforehand, it's not a total surprise that some numbers sound like an equivalent to songs like "Come Together" and the freakout section on "Medication." The blend of steady drone guitar and piano and semi-gospel moves on "Make It Easy" could almost be Jason Pierce in all but name. However, there's definitely a sense throughout that Ackerson's goal is to add some more direct sex and strut to that particular equation, not least because he's a much more clear and straightforward singer than Pierce. This has more than a little to do with how the songs are mixed -- no shoegazing for this crowd. It's also audible in the manic psych guitar soloing on any number of songs (check out "Light the Fuse and Run," "Idle Hands," and "Elasticity," which perhaps inadvertently calls Spiritualized's "Electricity" to mind, even if the pace is much slower).
Track List (try tracks 1,5 and 6)

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