by Spencer vH
Collecting not one but two early 1990's releases by the third most well-known Chapel Hill band from the 1990's, Polvo is drastically different from their geographic brothers in indie rock. Archers of Loaf crafted sing-along, bounce-around indie rock and could've been mistaken as The Pixies by many listeners. Superchunk were more distorted, pulling in more of a punk influence than indie rock. Polvo? It's hard to know where exactly Polvo pulled their influences from. Both of the bands guitarist/vocalists Dave Brylawski and Ash Bowie were known to bring their own songs to practice and let the room meld them together. Brylawski bringing a distinct Middle Eastern and Asian influence to melodies and tunings, with Bowie bringing most of the band's trademark dissonance and erratic time signatures.
In a way, two of those words can describe Polvo in full: melody and dissonance. The true magic of Polvo was the combination of all of their parts. How can a band that leans on so many unconventional elements still churn out driving rock anthems? Polvo's original two EPs that comprise the remaster aren't their peak weird, more of a peek of the weird to come. Starting with the windows down driving classic "Can I Ride," even the first minute of the this song would leave you wondering why it took so many words to describe the band's sound. When you reach the first instrumental break, it's clear that Polvo is just a different sounding band. "Leaf" and "Lull" also show a different side of the band: their underrated sweetness. A technically talented band across the board that can riff for days, tight as hell when intentioned and loose and wild equally so, the band has huge heart that comes through in the lyrics, vocal melodies and instrumental breaks of songs.
The reissue ends with the two songs that comprised the hard to find Vibracobra EP. For any Polvo fan, “Vibracobra” (the song) is the classic opener from 1992's Cor-Crane Secret, but the “The Drill” is an under-heard and under-appreciated Polvo jam that even long time fans may have missed out on. A twangy Southern ripper that still has the extremely distinct Polvo flair. Polvo is great for fans or newcomers alike - anyone who wants to see where one of the most influential bands of the 1990's honed their craft. Fans of their classic albums like Cor-Crane Secret and Today's Active Lifestyles will enjoy these versions of songs they know and love, while new fans will still enjoy an incredible find striving to develop their signature sound.