Polyphonic Spree - Together We're Heavy

Sometimes being unique and original can come off as a shtick; a ruse to hide sub-par music and make it seem like something more than it is. But sometimes being unique is just being unique. No band in the last few years has caused more people to question which of the above they fell under than the Dallas/Ft. Worth based The Polyphonic Spree. Before you hear a note of music you raise an eyebrow, not only at the fact they have over twenty members, but also over the fact they all wear robes. Once people heard their choir-like rock opera though, the verdict was clear… these guys were for real. Now comes the crucial point in the bands career. A sophomore album answers the question of longevity. Did your originality create great art simply because it was original or is it truly great, standing the test of time, even after its initial uniqueness has worn off? The answer unfortunately, is more of the former than it is of the latter. Together We’re Heavy is a worthy sequel to the bands debut release, but it falls short because that is exactly what it feels like, a sequel. On first listen, its cheery and sunny sound gets your smile going and your feet tapping, but the luster quickly fades, as the disc drags on upon repeated listening. The problem is that the tracks tend to feel like holdovers from the first disc. The same style, the same sound, and similar structure; the songs don’t bring anything new to the ear and don’t hold the previous formula well enough to overcome this setback. The highlight of the disc is hands down “Hold Me Now,” a wondrous and catchy track that embodies more of what the album should have been. It’s focused; it’s concise, and it does what it does well, not wasting time meandering. The rest of the album has some genuinely nice moments but suffers from feeling redundant and winded, as tracks carrying on longer than they should. In the end, it isn’t that this is a horrible album by any means, but rather that the trick was more awe inspiring the first time around, and going home again just doesn’t work out. Addicts of the first disc will surely be pleased with this outing, but the majority will wish they just stuck with listening to the first release instead of putting this in the player. Still original and still showing vision, but ultimately failing to show us anything new. [www.thepolyphonicspree.com]