ALBUM REVIEW: Rinse & Repeat (Meals For One) – Polly
Glaswegian alternative band POLLY have released their second album Rinse & Repeat (Meals For One). The Scottish quartet like to experiment between the worlds of noise rock, psychedelic rock and grunge, with bands like SMASHING PUMPKINS, SONIC YOUTH and SOUNDGARDN being named as influences. The album itself, recorded live, focuses on the concept of a man trying to figure out his destiny in life which leads to him losing his sanity, yet could this truly be the end?
If you wanted to summarise Rinse & Repeat briefly you could say it’s a noise project of sorts, a statement that might leave some wary yet even those who aren’t heavily into the genres of noise and psychedelic rock can enjoy this record, and they may even find themselves in awe.
Opening the album is Death Of A Cowboy and one can already hear the grunge influence in the moody guitar and deep vocals. As the style shifts into something more droning, you find yourself in a calm trance as the noise gradually builds up. You’re sat waiting for that noisy, psychedelic breakdown and when it hits, it’s all so satisfying as the song then blends into following track Mother Knows Best. When things calm down from that brief breakdown, the gentle droning in the background returns us to that calm trance. Genuinely, even though this was all recorded live, it sounds beautifully produced and put together.
This continues in Project 46 where the band continues to blend songs, this time concluding with another droning yet calming melody that feels dreamlike and rather otherworldly. The next two tracks, I’ve Been At This Party 4 5 Minutes… and …And I Want To Go Home, as the names suggest, are sibling tracks that are also blended together. To start off, the band shift more into the genres of alternative rock and grunge, before things then shift into a full-on psychedelic breakdown where you once again find yourself drifting from reality.
The final two tracks, meant to represent the breakdown of the previously mentioned protagonist, appear to represent him losing the sense of reality. Wakey Wakey begins with sound effects that are reminiscent of science fiction, with that familiar droning melody in the background. Moving into Madman, things start out melodic before really kicking off with a stunning psychedelic breakdown that leaves your mouth agape. The final thing we hear is a spoken word section, reminding us that things might not be at an end.
Overall, Rinse & Repeat (Meals For One) is a beautiful sounding record that might leave you with a new appreciation for all things psychedelic and noisy. There’s nothing else to say except go and listen to this album now!
Rating: 9/10
Rinse & Repeat (Meals For One) is out now via self-release.
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