Imagine Kraftwerk in a pastoral mood (dressed in pastels rather than primary colors). Or a soft-psych group like the Association or Free Design gone electronic. It would seem that Croatian-born polymath Kelley Polar has do... more »ne just that. Love Songs of the Hanging Gardens, his full-length debut following a series of 12-inch singles, is the work of a classically trained musician with a disco jones. Best known for his arrangements for Metro Area, Polar combines strings with synths, hand claps, mechanized beats, soft-rock vocals, and the occasional heavenly robot choir ("Cosmological Constancy," "Matter Into Energy"). The end result is more effervescent than the dark-hued title and cover art might suggest. Remember Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out," Yello's "Oh Yeah," or even Can's leftfield dance hit "I Want More"? With production assistance from Morgan Geist (Metro Area, Environ Records), Polar captures some of that playful magic on Love Songs, but without succumbing to nostalgia for a bygone era. In its tastefulness and restraint (Polar's androgynous vocals barely rise above a whisper), the individual tracks aren't necessarily as memorable as they could be, but the album as a whole sure goes down easy. --Kathleen C. Fennessy« less
Imagine Kraftwerk in a pastoral mood (dressed in pastels rather than primary colors). Or a soft-psych group like the Association or Free Design gone electronic. It would seem that Croatian-born polymath Kelley Polar has done just that. Love Songs of the Hanging Gardens, his full-length debut following a series of 12-inch singles, is the work of a classically trained musician with a disco jones. Best known for his arrangements for Metro Area, Polar combines strings with synths, hand claps, mechanized beats, soft-rock vocals, and the occasional heavenly robot choir ("Cosmological Constancy," "Matter Into Energy"). The end result is more effervescent than the dark-hued title and cover art might suggest. Remember Joe Jackson's "Steppin' Out," Yello's "Oh Yeah," or even Can's leftfield dance hit "I Want More"? With production assistance from Morgan Geist (Metro Area, Environ Records), Polar captures some of that playful magic on Love Songs, but without succumbing to nostalgia for a bygone era. In its tastefulness and restraint (Polar's androgynous vocals barely rise above a whisper), the individual tracks aren't necessarily as memorable as they could be, but the album as a whole sure goes down easy. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
CD Reviews
Love until you go mad
Michael Perry | Shanghai, China | 11/15/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I wish I could approach this title totally free of bias but this album came up on my radar a couple months ago as being released by Environ Records. As a diehard Metro Area fan I knew immediately that I had to check this out, but also knew that, given the scant amount of impressive electronic releases this year, the odds were against this sounding as good as I would like.
That said this album actually surpasses a lot of my expectations with it's predictably tight production by Morgan Geist, and surprisingly wistful Arthur Russell-style delivery and unabashedly romantic (in the vein of Percy Shelley that is) lyrics by Kelley Polar. This is not only a great album to dance along with ("The Rooms in My House Have Many Parties"), but it's also something that you can wrap yourself into beyond the sheer aural pleasure of slick production techniques and a danceable rhythm track. Sit down and listen to the chilling "Ashamed of Myself" and you'll get what I'm talking about; while the trademark Metro Area beats, strings, and synths churn out a Prince-worthy beat, Polar whispers self-disgust at his own desire. The combination of Polar's slight vocals with the Metro Area sound is really affecting. Furthermore the album's love obsessed lyrics, sparse sonic atmospheres, and the conceit of estranging space imagery (not well-described here but it works well) add a consistancy that makes what could have been a collection of Polar's singles into a cohesive and strangely affecting album.
In a year with a slim amount of memorable electronic releases (Isolee's Wearemonster notwithstanding) Love Songs of the Hanging Gardens is strong enough to go down by Metro Area's self titled album as one of my favorite electronic albums to come out in the past 5 years."
Underrated and highly original
Aaron D. Stigberg | Chicago, IL USA | 01/22/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm surprised this release wasn't hyped all over the place. It's a real shame, as it's a bit of a masterwork. Polar & Geist use the disco violin to amazing effect, and the crisp drumbeats and honeyed vocals complement the strings beautifully. If you want comparisons, the obvious ones are Metro Area for the beats and, while it might come off as a negative (which it's not meant to be), Fischerspooner for the vocals. A gem."
Great electro with disco hooks
ohmysohopeless | Nowhere to Go | 12/13/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I really love dance music and synth sounds but am not usually interested in electro as a genre. As a listener who finds pleasure in exploring sounds that are both innovative and appealing at the same time, electro during the past decade or so has not offered me anything worth exploring anew. In turn I have dug into danceable funk and disco (omg) music of 70s and 80s and have found them much more refreshing than more accessible electro of nowadays.
There was an album review article on Kelley Polar's new release in Stylus magazine, and I got immediately interested after seeing the mention of the word "disco." Many music aficionados loathe the characteristic "over-the-top cheesiness" that sweeping sounds of strings generate and despise you on admitting your liking to shake your booty along with it. I personally make sure none of my homies are around when I have to listen to a track like "I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair)" while I blush in shame as I do so. Nevertheless disco and its cheesy strings owned party goers for much of 70s and there must be something infectious about the music. (By the way I spent much of my youthful years during 90s.)
Therefore I was more curious than anticipatory how the master of cheesiness would get fused into the today's definition of "coolness" that is electro. I don't feel quite qualified to have a say in the electro aspect of Polar's music without trained ears for it, but I definitely feel the disco in Polar's sporadic strings arrangements, which give the right disco hooks at the right moments. I never knew real strings can be such a fitting companion for electro. Maybe it is the nasal tone of violas, as oppose to violins, that gives a more reserved presence of quintessential disco hooks, but all I can say is Polar produced some disco that I do not have to blush while listening!
I have not enjoyed listening to an electro album this much for quite a while. As someone who has listened to disco a lot, I wish Polar explores further the possibility of his musical direction, and that is the reason I reserve the place for an additional star."
Disco goes to heaven
Laura Ottina | Florence, Italy | 02/09/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This was a true find. It's rare to hear music that has the courage to sound at once spiritual and groovy, romantic and disembodied, melancoly and blissful, goofy and refined, fun and poetic (luckily, it seems to be happening more often these days). Polar's main musical influences are disco and classical music, which he combines in an unlikely and magical mix that has nothing of the cheesiness of similar efforts by other musicians. My personal favorites are "In Time" and "Matter into Energy". It sounds like the work of a beautiful mind..."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1