THE POLYPHONIC SPREE > The Fragile Army

What germinated in this country as a genre heralded by Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, then nourished by the likes of John Lennon and Neil Young, the protest song still survives in a myriad of forms and styles-but at times feels cliché and flat. Then The Polyphonic Spree rolls in on a Technicolor M1 Abrams packed with modernized flower-power that squash any doubts you had about the life-force of beautiful dissent.Label: TVT RECORDS
[Rating: 4]

What germinated in this country as a genre heralded by Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, then nourished by the likes of John Lennon and Neil Young, the protest song still survives in a myriad of forms and styles-but at times feels cliché and flat. Then The Polyphonic Spree rolls in on a Technicolor M1 Abrams packed with modernized flower-power that squash any doubts you had about the life-force of beautiful dissent.

The Fragile Army title was conceived by Thumbsucker director Mike Mills, while the Spree’s dynamic frontman, Tim DeLaughter, scored the film in Berlin. Principle songwriters, Julie Doyle and DeLaughter, felt the name summed up the band’s pulse and ran headlong with it, surpassing the group’s 2004 release, Together We’re Heavy.

The disc should come with a label forewarning first-time listeners of the mind-melting, psych-choral arrangements awaiting them inside. Tagged as “Sections,” picking up with 21 where the previous effort left off, each of these 11 sonic arrangements dovetails precisely with the next, supporting their utopian message of understanding and peace with rambunctious pop orchestration.

“Running Away” jumpstarts the album, and the juice never lets up throughout. The band summons delicate, fluttering instrumentation on “We Crawl,” and the subtle looping and pronounced bass on “Light to Follow” urges onward and upward. The title track starts with somber keys and vocals and contains a message for the powers-that-be that won’t sit well with red-staters. But honestly, the drama of the number is superb…they should listen anyway.

The Polyphonic Spree dropped the robes for the black fatigues adorned with symbols of peace, and are marching to a beat that is universal, positive and packs a forceful punch of rock and pop.