Pros: Some outstanding songs, Hold me Now and One Man Show
Cons: Blends together, painfully uninteresting, where has the inspiration gone?
The Bottom Line: Together We're Heavy pales in comparison to both the group's debut and my expectations. The Polyphonic Spree still sound great, but the energy and light seem somewhat missing.
lambchops's Full Review: Together We're Heavy by The Polyphonic Spree
Unlike any other band of musicians who has ever existed, Polyphonic Spree is the original creation of eccentric Tim DeLaughter (of Tripping Daisy fame). The nearly 30-person troupe makes a shiny, happy, unexpectedly coy sound that is easy on the ears but impossible to pigeonhole. Polyphonic Spree is a freely creative and somewhat cultish act that may or may not appeal to the listener. Basically, if you like your music sticky-sweet and sans insincere angst then maybe (and is a big maybe) this group/band/troupe will appeal to you.
If there is one important thing to note about Polyphonic Spree it is that if you are a particularly negative person, their music will undoubtedly annoy you. The group’s debut, The Beginning Stages of… (2002), is by far the more appealing of the two releases. Both it and Together We’re Heavy (2004) have a similar direction but the former is a tighter affair with catchier melodies and more entertaining lyrics. Maybe it’s that when the group’s first album was released they were entirely new—I’d never heard anything like the Polyphonic Spree in my life. However, with the release of Together We’re Heavy I expected something different from them instead of the same old song and dance. No musical entity can continue on heralded (irregardless of quality) if they don’t change.
Together We’re Heavy is the second album from Polyphonic Spree. Based out of Dallas, and rising out of the ashes of Tripping Daisy following the death of a bandmate the DeLaughter-led group of singers, keyboardists, percussionists, guitar players, and a host of other less likely members found a home on indie label Good. Most people know them from the song included in both Volkswagon commercials and recent film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind called Follow the Day. Fortunately, based on their debut release they have a good deal to offer more than one kitschy tune.
Unfortunately, Together We’re Heavy makes no particular attempt to expound upon its predecessor. It is merely an extension of the same thing, and from a group that did so much to brighten the pop/alt/indie world it is a painfully disappointing step in the wrong direction. First things first, I’ve never been a fan of DeLaughter’s voice be him part of Tripping Daisy or the official bandleader of Polyphonic Spree. However, the glorious nature of the debut outweighed my aversion to DeLaughter’s nasally voice. Not so with Together We’re Heavy. I am completely under-whelmed by apparent (lack of) effort.
Enough of these frustrating generalities—it’s important to get down to the nitty gritty. It begins with a harp (not uncommon with the Polyphonic Spree) contrasted with guitars and a piano on song A Long Day Continues/We Sound Amazed. The opening is lovely and emotional—the perfect introduction to an album that at first seems as outstanding as the debut. However, once DeLaughter enters the arrangement I find myself mildly annoyed by the whole thing. He just doesn’t seem to sparkle in the way he did on The Beginning Stages of… With only ten tracks on the release, there is little if any room for mediocrity. In fact, two of those songs are less than two minutes and three are more than eight minutes—this is a very inconsistent way to arrange an album. The songs all blend together and very few things stand out.
Hold Me Now is one of the few moments I find myself reminded of the Polyphonic Spree I came to appreciate only a year or two earlier. With a chipper, lovely melody absolutely reminiscent of The Beatles the group is absolutely flawless. From the memorable words to the key-and-percussion melody I’m impressed. Even with a choir, flute, trumpet, and various other instruments it holds up as the most outstanding moment of Together We’re Heavy. From this moment on, the album is of mixed quality. Some songs are good while others and moderately annoying at best.
Diamonds/Mild Devotion to Majesty is an attractive song, though it is mostly entertaining because it reminds me of Have a Day/Celebratory. This is a problem—no band should in the course of two albums rehash similar feeling melodies. Similarly, I’m not feeling Two Thousand Places and the slow burning (and short) Ensure Your Reservation. Fortunately One Man Show makes up for some of the problems. It is a sad, beautiful, delicate, moving piece of music which ranks among the band’s best. There are very few moments where the Polyphonic Spree is even modestly melancholic, but in the case of this song I feel that not everything is perfect. This makes them seem more human—a characteristic all too lacking from this album.
Toward the end of Together We’re Heavy my interest wanes. The final three songs are basically interchangeable and absolutely forgettable. It’s like one big movement. I know that’s what they wanted, but Everything Starts at the Seam, When the Fool Becomes a King, and Together We’re Heavy are collectively lackluster. In particular, I tire rather quickly of the 10+ minute epic When the Fool Becomes a King and highly recommend you skip it if it doesn’t immediately catch your fancy.
I can’t help but applaud the Polyphonic Spree for continuing to bring unabashed happiness to the world of music. It’s uplifting and it’s well arranged, but it pales in comparison to The Beginning Stages of… Together We’re Heavy isn’t nearly the album I hoped it would be. It is good, but in the case of this group I expected great. Boring just doesn’t cut it.
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Section 11: A Long Day Continues/We Sound Amazed
02. Section 12: Hold Me Now
03. Section 13: Diamonds/Mild Devotion to Majesty
04. Section 14: Two Thousand Places
05. Section 15: Ensure Your Reservation
06. Section 16: One Man Show
07. Section 17: Suitcase Calling
08. Section 18: Everything Starts at the Seam
09. Section 19: When the Fool Becomes a King
10. Section 20: Together We’re Heavy
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