If Polvo's past recordings have ever evoked shapes, for the most part, they'd be trapezoidal. In this latest release, they've smoothed out the edges and huddled all their intricacies into the center of a rich Sufic oval. Their well-known fondness for Eastern tonalities surfaces shamelessly here to form a looser, more variegated sound.
When the plodding sitar of "the fighting kites" begins bluesing its notes like an Appalachian banjo, nothing seems more natural. From "the golden ladder's" trancelike, Moorish feel, to "pulchritude's" koto, Polvo lay their wide range of influences bare and manage to blend them organically with their old hammering style.
And that style's not at all lacking here - "everything in flames!" is classic engine-of-destruction Polvo. Soaring, anthemic guitars are evident throughout and "rock post rock" is reminiscent of what was best about Led Zeppelin.
Polvo have yet to master the art of subtlety, but with these dabblings in orientalism, they've come a bit closer.
If you like Shapes, check out:
Polvo Exploded Drawing
Rodan
June of 44
Sonic Youth
psst...you might wanna check out our indie rock abode for more features on (guess what) indie rock bands.
-- p
