The Polyphonic Spree "Together We're Heavy" (Hollywood Records)
Sounds Like: Every jam band on the planet stripping down naked to their gross, hairy birthday suits and having some sweet hippy sex with all the hook-heavy indie bands ... backed by a choir.
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So, 25 guys and gals in white robes singing about the sun and how it makes them smile. Ah, the most cracked-out band in the world is back, and this time, they're not just in car commercials. The Polyphonic Spree - the best thing to come out of Texas since ... well, ever - have released their best CD. And that's saying something - their 2002 release, "The Beginning Stages Of..." was a brilliant debut that showcased an arsenal of the best pop hooks out there, backed by a choir.
And that's not all. The instruments employed on this record include a harp, violins, cellos, two drum sets (sadly, that's still one fewer than Slipknot) and a theremin, the electronic instrument famously featured on the Beach Boys' hit "Good Vibrations."
On "Together We're Heavy," lead singer-songwriter Tim DeLaughter composed the material on his brand-new piano instead of on guitar, and there is definitely a difference in song structure. The new Spree jams are seven to 10 minutes and morph several choruses into a single song. The end result is a more fleshed out and better record. With its long songs and even longer hair, the Polyphonic Spree seem dangerously close to being a hippy jam band, but they shoe-lessly frolic the line between hippie and indie.
With its long songs and continuing themes, "Together We're Heavy" almost feels as if it's a rock opera, although the lyrics clearly continue in the tradition of the first Spree record. What's amazing here is how they are able to avoid making their ferociously upbeat lyrics obnoxious. In any other context, the lyrics "Hail to the sky / It's time to watch the show / The trees wanna grow" would suck. But somehow, they don't.
The highlights include the joyous "Two Thousand Places At Once" and the Âber-epic "When the Fool Becomes a King," which ends with a revisiting of "It's the Sun" from the Spree's first record. The real moment of this album, though, occurs five minutes into "Suitcase Calling," when the Spree launch into a triumphant hook - their most powerful ever. DeLaughter sings, "The places you take me / It seems like it's always better." The journey that the Polyphonic Spree is taking us on continues to get better and it's nice to be along for the ride.
