Polynya - crop rotation

Polynya follows up their self-titled debut with crop rotation. This album sees the band pared down to a four-piece with drummer Amelia (the band are fond of dropping surnames) having departed.

It continues in much the same vein as their previous album with a mix of shoegaze and the pop songs of Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd. "Ribbon Dragons" starts out with what sounds like a carnival organ melting as if in a Dali painting. A skip-along beat comes in and is joined by a fluttering guitar and some synths bubbling underneath. The band make full use here of the vocal harmonies of Andrea and Luke (I think it's him, anyway). Despite the fact that they contrast greatly, they still work together and add a wealth of color to the song.

"Fan Fiction" begins with a small wall of distorted guitar but takes a nod from REM's "Me in Honey" during the verses. The fuzzy guitars that dramatically build up are a highlight of another of the album's best songs, "Maul". Angelo Badalamenti comes to mind for "Orlando". Andrea's voice echoes as if through the Black Lodge while the keys create an ambience with just a hint of menace. The way the synths and guitar play off of one another illustrates one of Polynya's musical strengths – they can get contrasts to play well together. Just listen to the aforementioned contrasting voices that harmonize perfectly, if a bit oddly.

The weak spot here is the drumming, which sounds completely programmed. The use of the splash cymbal button was strictly avoided. Limiting yourself to the hi-hat (and perhaps occasional ride) is not in and of itself a bad thing. I mean, Peter Gabriel banished cymbals for one of his best albums. But the problem on crop rotation is that there are times when it sounds like the band are trying to play catch-up to a computer. But when they're not, things generally turn out very well. Polynya are at their best when everyone is in the kitchen with their hands in the pot. When there's lots of guitar and keys vying for space and the vocal harmonies are in full swing, the songs really move because the drums don't sound like they're ready to slip away. Add in the rather impressionistic lyrics and you've got a meal.