album of the week: 4.3

Polysics

Oh! No! It's Heavy Polysick!!!

(2011)

Why you'll love it: Non-stop crazy innovative technopop madness

Why you'll hate it: Too alien; you miss Kayo.

While writing these every week, I'm usually listening to the album (not for the first time, of course). I've had to start over three times so far, because Oh! No! It's Heavy Polysick!!! makes me stop what I'm doing every time, as my subconscious slips away into a technopop vortex. I try to be more critical than normal when dealing with my favorite bands, but have almost nothing but praise for this!

Now in the double digits of LP releases, Polysics should have jumped the shark a long time ago. The departure of their longtime synth player was a sudden shock to fans in late 2009, and retroactively explained the shortcomings of their last album, Absolute Polysics. Losing your only synth player would seem like the end of a new wave band, but this new approach to songwriting using more sequencers has brought a new jolt of innovation when they most needed it.

Probably the strongest motif of this album is the emphasis of being a trio. Electronics have not been all left to a robot. The drummer and bass player sing more, and each man a sequencer. Hayashi has even more toys to play with now. There are lot of songs on here that give everyone in the band a moment to shine. "Let’s ダバダバ" and "Subliminal CHA-CHA-CHA" are the best examples of this, and also the other defining mark of this album, fan service.

From the album art, the "Let’s ダバダバ" PV, to the content of a lot of the songs themselves, there is a lot for the longtime fan to chew on. "Subliminal CHA-CHA-CHA" is probably the coolest song they've ever written, and the time out for each member of the band gives it so much charm. "Let's…" may seem like sugary pop, but fans will pick out Yano's contribution, the solos in the middle, and realize a song would not have come together like this in the past. It's exactly what I want from Polysics in a pop song, something so over the top that it makes me pause at first, and challenges me to just let go and enjoy. I lot of this album has the kind of free will and expression that defined 2006's Karate House.

There is a debate to be had about handing over a bulk of the electronics to sequencers, and it's a worthy one, on both sides of the matter; but I don't feel that has any impact on a studio album. There are no rules when it comes to creation. With the new lineup, electronics are now flying faster than ever, and at unpredictable moments. "Cough Cough" is explosive! "3 Point Time" is the kind of technical approach I've been waiting to see from this band for years. They did not burn any bridges. There are still plenty of melodies that can be performed if they recruit a new P behind the keys in the future. There is a clear feeling throughout the album though that change is afoot. "Jumping Up And Clash" is the closest thing to the middle of the road pop song, and it's pretty damn far from the middle. Polysics isn't reaching for a wider audience this time, they're firing up their fanbase.

The only bad things i can say about this album is that newcomers may not appreciate or understand how exciting some of the changes are. Objectively, only two tracks feel weak. "Go To A Strange City", while reminding me of relatively unknown no-wavers, Numbers, ends abruptly just when it is getting good. It also has a awkward vocal delivery at the end, as does "Much Love, Oh No!". While those moments make me tilt my head a bit, it's their willingness to experiment that I love so much. So even when what they attempt is a dud, I get a bit excited by them just trying it. This is a stretch of a complaint. Every song has something great to take out of it. It's hard to rip on any of the songs, because they all have so much character and definition. There isn't that polish that made everything on Absolute Polysics mush together. All the different sounds are clear and vibrant.

This is probably the best Polysics album since their lineup last solidified in 2004. I can't decide if this beats out Karate House or not. It's start to finish excitement, and doesn't overstay its welcome. Most importantly, it innovates with the changes to the lineup; something last year's eee-P!!! did not do. It's been a questionable two years of studio output before now, but Oh! No! has proven they aint dead yet.