•
Rating: Cor-Crane Secret (1992) is the debut of Polvo, a solid indie rock band formed two years earlier in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Their sound is composed of intricate instrumental textures, unconventional structures, noise experiments, and a sense of melody that is completely out of the ordinary.
Amidst all this, the guitars of Ash Bowie (also a singer) and Dave Brylawski stand out, capable of sounding tense and nervous (but never angry), as well as getting lost in more expansive chords that recall something of the '60s psychedelia. As unkempt as they are sophisticated, these two guitarists would form one of the tightest duos of the period. The rhythm section, comprised of Steve Popson (bass) and Eddie Watkins (drums), is always agile and in motion, effectively supporting the two leaders. The vocals, on the other hand, act somewhat as a counterpoint, almost always in the background, distant and vaguely melodic, with some resemblance to those of My Bloody Valentine.
Vibracobra, the opening track, is immediately one of the best on the record, with a “trembling” guitar that gives the piece a dreamlike and transcendent tone. In Kalgon, the first of the instrumental tracks, Bowie and Brylawski can express themselves freely, weaving oblique and irregular melodies.
Can I Ride is pure energy, with sharp, edgy guitars and rhythmic bursts that make the piece overwhelming.
Sense of It and Channel Changer are more orthodox even though they present their own anomalous tonal characteristics.
Although the references are clear (especially Sonic Youth, an almost obligatory comparison in guitar-driven indie rock), Polvo maintain their own well-defined identity thanks to the oriental sounds that permeate Bend or Break and the instrumental Duped.
All the other tracks only confirm the qualities of this quartet, perhaps the only flaw is the somewhat too lo-fi production.
Despite this being a great debut, Polvo will further refine themselves with subsequent releases, where their sound will become even more personal. A minor masterpiece of indie rock.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
04 Can I Ride (03:44)
i'll arrive though it takes me a while to get there
i'll wait around and seek my share
when we leave they'll put it there
the same thing's not there
you should've followed me somewhere to nowhere
the voices outside
somebody's saying can i ride
since you take them why don't you decide
i tell myself not to be surprised that i'm alive
i don't agree with you (something i don't understand)
well i don't mind
all around us people explain what they want
and by the sound i can tell they care if i don't
anyway i can see things are happening
well all i know (more i can't understand)
it's not there
i'll arive though it takes me a while to get there
i'll wait around and seek my share
when we leave they'll put it there
the same thing's not there
you followed me somewhere to nowhere
Loading comments slowly
