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Polar City

Right This Minute EP

Written by: TL on 17/07/2011 23:19:32

Next band up is Polar City, who are also gracing my desk and your ears with an EP that, as far as I can find out, seems to be their debut. The disc is called "Right This Minute" and was recorded in May last year under the guidance of a member of Atlas Losing Grip. The music has a 90's alternative feel to it, that first made me think of Counting Crows, but Polar City rock a good deal harder than they do, so soon enough my mind also made its way to comparing them to bands like The Classic Crime and The Sleeping.

The guitars are crunchy, yet melodic, packing a dry, no-nonsense rock punch, and joined with bass, drums and vocals, the overall expression isn't one you can easily pin on any one influence, which is of course a good starting point. The sound is funkier than it is heavy, with the pace being kept at mid-tempo, and the guitars being wielded with an admirable understanding for the how often the pause between strums can give as much to a song as vigorous strumming itself. The vocals are also quite cool, having a rough edge to them that suggests the singer is more a young man than a whiny boy, and yet frontman Jonas Svendsen still gets around his registry, giving us tastes of his falsetto on well chosen occasions.

That being said, there are still indications of Polar City having work to do yet before one is inclined to predict a breakthrough for them. The ending to EP opener "Killing It Like A Comedian Should" is one such instance, as the screams that come in towards the ending seems poorly fitted for the bands sound, and mildly handicaps an otherwise cool break. Then I'm certainly more impressed by the brief female guest-vocals on the following "Yeah Bimbo", which also boasts a sparkling little signature riff. Third track "Where The Heart Is And..." is barely half a ballad however, ending well before it's gotten off the ground, so there's more to be enjoyed in closer "Where The Lightball Is Spinning", which sees the band at their noisiest, and gives another sample of their gift for signature riffs and groovy breaks.

As it often does in my reviews however, the fate of a record is finally determined by the perceived longevity of its songs, and in this deparment, Polar City seemingly have as much to work on as any other young band just getting off the ground. "Right This Minute" is an intriguing record, which I find highly likable for it's noisy, playful guitar (that even remind me of the awesomeness of Pavement in passing moments) for its rhythmical variety and for the way Svendsen throws his voice around seeming like he loves to use it. From saying that and to saying that there are songs on here that I'll still be listening to in a couple of week's time however, there's still quite a stretch, but at least Polar City can comfort themselves with knowing that they already have a cool sound. All they need to do is mold it into some more impactful songs.

Download: Killing It Like A Comedian Should, Yeah Bimbo, Where The Lightball Is Spinning
For The Fans Of: The Classic Crime, a more groovy The Sleeping, a more rockin' version of Counting Crows
Listen: myspace.com/polarcityband

Release Date July 2011
**Self-released**