head's_bullet wrote:
Even if she tried to repeat herself she would sound different, but that is kinda basics for any artist (and they generally get a worse output when they try that), but the thing is, there is a distinct, refreshing difference between albums like TBYML/ITD, ITD/Stories or, the most extreme of all UHH/White Chalk, just to quote the most vivid and eye popping examples. The person who did White Chalk sounds completely different and unrecognisable from the persona of Uh Huh Her. I don't see it all here from LES to Hope Six.
Polly is a specialist, almost in a Academical level, on what she really is into now: geopolitics, so it is obvious that switching the landscape from England to global is a huge difference, for a specialist, but artistically and thematically speaking is not at all, specially because we have all the LES ingredients back again: war, death, uplifting melodies wrapping up quite dark lyrics, she is just sounding more abrasive and modern, departing from her highly folkish sonority from LES, but it still sounds quite reminiscent and I'm not really impressed.
That doesn't mean the album will be a bad one, but I really don't see it being as remarkable as LES and most of her catalogue. I like very much all songs I've heard so far and judging by the differences between The Wheel live and The Wheel in studio, we won't get anything that different from the production/mixing of the album, just something sounding way better. Polly never does bad songs, but just because they are good doesn't mean she did excel herself again or is sticking to her plan to do not repeat herself, unfortunately she is repeating herself. I just hope we don't get a trilogy on this subject because, even though these songs are beautiful and touching, I'm getting indifferent and tired about the theme, not to mention she is getting musically stationary insisting on it.
Well said. I was about to write the same thing, I completely agree with your analysis. The Wheel is a really good song but repetitive one. We get use, since years, to Polly's challenge to not repeat herself, so, it's a small disappointment. Hope VI will probably be a good album but what makes Polly better than others is her eclectic discography. As many noticed, it seems she focused more on the lyrics/poems than music.
I'm pretty sure that I'll listen a lot to that album because, from what we heard, it seems very catchy, but with that 5-years-long-awaiting, I was hoping for something very innovative, less "radio friendly", more experimental, and dark, like a LES Nemesis.