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Rating:
Having put away the improbable white tunics that were so reminiscent of hippies, but also gave a moderate sense of anguish, Tim Delaughter's collective returns for this third album in a quasi-military uniform, spared from who knows what nuclear threat or simply in search of a guiding light to illuminate this dark twenty-first century.
How many fixations certain artists must have! Not only that. The twelve tracks that make up the album pick up numerically where the previous work left off: thus the first track bears the inscription section 21, a logical continuation of the entire work of the Polyphonic Spree. Well, after delighting you with these pleasantries, which, even if peripheral, are an integral part of the CD, let's move on to the main course.
For those who know and have appreciated the previous two discographical efforts of the American ensemble, let's say clearly that the feeling of a half misstep remains every time the album comes to an end. The playful musical vaults, the vocal explosions, and the sugary part of the project are set aside this time to focus on a more conventional song form.
Tim Delaughter must have wondered if there was a way out somewhere of the musical happening he had set up, and the indicators he found led him to a more canonical indie pop/rock. I've even heard talks of comparisons with Arcade Fire, Flaming Lips, or Mercury Rev. Obviously, some trademarks remain, such as the indiscriminate use of all sorts of instruments, or the choral singing, although slightly watered down.
One thing is certain: the dreamy naivety combined with the epic choral nature of the debut, at least for now, has been lost. It's true, they could sound a bit pompous and megalomaniac, but in the contemporary context, they were a countercurrent voice that caused division. Oh, how they divided: those who adored them and those who loathed them. Now they've joined the big pop-rock cauldron, and frankly, nobody felt the need for it. Equally true is that the musical proposition cannot always remain indifferent to events and fall into immobility; something needs to change to survive. Therein lies the difficulty. Change, yes, but change for the better.
Come on, Tim, for the moment we won't abandon you, especially for the sweet memories of the past, but if you really have to continue on this path, then it's better to put the tunics back on.
Tracklist
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