SOUNDTRACK: SKATING POLLY-The Big Fit (2014).
The Big Fit is a slicker and more satisfying album from this duo. Their songs are still noisy and abrasive and neither singer holds back, but overall the songs sound even better (I’m sure it’s the production as well).
“Oddie Moore” starts out quietly with just Peyton singing and then Kelli joining her (showing off some nice singing and harmonies) and a really catchy melody.
But it’s “Perfume for Now” that really shows how much their songwriting has jumped in one album. It begins quietly with some cool bass lines and Kelli’s quieter singing. Then comes the chorus in which Kelli sing/screams a line and Peyton basically just melodically screams a punctuation mark. It’s terrific. Then just to add to the tension, there’s a quiet bridge: “I know you wanted to be class white trash / Or were you going for class clown?” And when they join together at the end of the chorus in harmony it’s really great. I can’t help but feel that this song encapsulates the Skating Polly sound perfectly (and it was amazing live).
“Pretective Boy” switches things up a both with a poppier sound and some cool vocal parts from both singers. “Cosmetic Skull” (whatever that means) is a piano-based song–a big change of pace with the sweet tribute to their matriarch: “I want to dance with Exene, coz she can lead.” It’s a quieter song that shows that they’re not just all screams and feedback. Their dual vocals at the end sound really cool, too.
“Nothing More Than a Body” has a simple, quiet guitar-chugging opening. But rather than just the chugging chords, each line ends with three picked notes–it’s those little details that elevate these songs. Kelli’s interesting “oooh” backing vocals that changes styles between lines are also a nice touch. And then there’s the big chorus with the backing vocals mixed almost creepily in the mix.
“Hey Sweet” is a blistering noisy blast of a song–screamed by Kelli with a relentless bad-ass guitar riff. Even a fast blast like this is 3 minutes long–these girls do not slouch when it comes to songwriting.
I was puzzled by “Morning Dew” because it sounded so unlike them and seemed so…odd. I had no idea that it was written in the 1960s by Bonnie Dobson. I thought it was such an odd song that a person is saying he heard someone and the other voice say she did not (in the Skating Polly version, Kelli screams this section as it turns into blistering punk). I was really puzzled by the song and have now found out: “The song is a dialogue between the last man and woman left alive following an apocalyptic catastrophe: Dobson has stated that the initial inspiration for “Morning Dew” was the film On the Beach which is focused on the survivors of virtual global annihilation by nuclear holocaust. The actual writing of the song occurred in 1961 while Dobson was staying with a friend in Los Angeles: Dobson would recall how the guests at her friend’s apartment were speculating about a nuclear war’s aftermath and “after everyone went to bed, I sat up and suddenly I just started writing this song [although] I had never written [a song] in my life.” Creepy.
“Arms & Opinons” bonces back with a piano melody the middle section with the repeating piano melody and the backing vocals is spooky and very cool. When both girls sing the next part it sounds tremendous.
Oh, please forget me for my sins
My charming hungriness has got me once again
My father sent me out, he told me what to do
But instead of listening, I filled up his cup to the top with glue
He tried to drink, he tried to swallow
But due to the lack of the air his face was turning dark blue
And I felt bad just for a second
But mainly I was laughing because I just brought the day
“For the View” is a quieter song with Peyton working through many different vocal deliveries–whispering, falsetto, a scream like Corin Tucker, and some good old rage screaming, too. The drums are heavy on the toms which is also very cool.
“Stop Digging” has so many parts, it’s very neat. It starts with a simple bass line and Peyton’s drumming. Kelli sings quietly until the loud chorus which is all distorted. The third sections sounds really different and catchy and then there’s a quick fourth section. And then when the song seems like it’s over they add in yet another part with a great heavy distorted riff and big vocals for both of them. The song could end there, but it adds a coda: “the first rule of holes, stop digging; the first step of getting out of a hole, stop digging.”
“Across the Caves” is a piano song. It is a little faster than the other with some good drumming. The disc ends with “Picker of His Words.” This is a quiet acoustic song with Kelli and Peyton singing alternating verses to each other. Kelli plays a simple bass riff and Peyton plays an interesting counterpoint guitar line over it. It sounds pretty sophisticated and really shows off how nice their voices are when unadorned.
Since recording this album, they have added their brother to the band and have done work with Louise and Nina from Veruca Salt. I’m really curious to see what their new stuff sounds like. And I really hope I can see them live again–they were tremendous.
[READ: September 20, 2017] “A Recognized Man”
Timothy is a famous actor. And he has a secret. Lots of secrets, actually.
He is in love with René “or felt he very soon would be.” He and Rene would be going to the Award ceremony in a few months but tonight was a special party for Timothy’s birthday.
René was not famous and he still really enjoyed seeing the reactions of people when they recognized Timothy. Timothy had other boyfriends who quickly tired of that adulation,but René did not.
Timothy is looking forward to a quiet night out with René. He pretends to be surprised that René is taking them to Timothy’s favourite restaurant. But he is genuinely surprised to see that other people are there too. (more…)
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I was pretty excited when this show was announced. I thought my daughter would really enjoy this. She loves PhilaMOCA as a venue and I thought she’d really enjoy this young(ish) punk band.
I Just Read About That... 