By David Okamoto, KERA 90.1 Commentator
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-604581.mp3
Dallas, TX –
Music cut: Running Away
There's a fine line between being naive and hopeful - one gets you labeled a Pollyanna, the other makes you The Polyphonic Spree.
Formed six years ago by former Tripping Daisy frontman Tim DeLaughter in the wake of bandmate Wes Berggren's drug overdose, the Dallas ensemble has redefined how many musicians can squeeze on stage and still be considered a rock band. For its just-released third album titled The Fragile Army, the Spree has grown up but downsized to 24 members, including seven female vocalists, a brass section and even a harpist. Their trademark choir robes have been replaced by black military-style uniforms - an indicator of a more-forceful sound and a more-grounded vision that wields hope not as a mindset, but as a weapon against the fear, complacency, and political divisiveness that have haunted America since 9/11.
With their progressive-rock grandeur and symphonic flourishes, the Polyphonic Spree is often compared with the Flaming Lips, Sufjan Stevens and Mercury Rev, alternative-rock darlings who have made it hip to be ethereal. But on The Fragile Army, the band comes across more like a choral incarnation of U2, Big Country, and other idealistic early '80s bands that embraced the communal power of music in hopes of changing the world. Balancing compassion with conviction on such rousing tracks as "Running Away", "Get Up and Go" and "The Championship", the Spree emerges as a triumphant symbol for unity in vision and strength in numbers.
Music cut: The Championship
Like any preacher with a message, DeLaughter knows that striving to inspire the masses in the back pews often means overreaching to the choir. With help from producer John Congleton, he's learned to harness the europhic clout of multiple voices and use it judiciously, relying more on the traditional rock rhythms of piano, bass and drums to propel even the most ornate anthems.
It's a dazzling, dizzying concept that DeLaughter pulls off most of the time. The Fragile Army falls apart only when he gives in to his inner Sergeant Pepper. In those overly ambitious moments, he grasps for more words than the emotion needs - like when he opens "Running Away" by declaring, "I'm projecting and reflecting desire for you to come into my life" instead of simply saying "I want you." His eloquent spins on pop and politics, so engaging in person and in interviews, get buried under the heavy-handed arrangements of "Overblow Your Nest" and the title track, which fails to pay off on its glorious buildup.
Music cut: The Fragile Army
In an industry that lends more credence to cynicism and anger - just look at all the hoopla surrounding Kelly Clarkson's recent Alanis-like turn from adored Idol to scorned girlfriend - the Polyphonic Spree continues to prove that it is much more than a well-intentioned novelty act. And in its finest moments, The Fragile Army succeeds in yet another uphill battle: elevating pleas for peace, love and understanding into calls to action.
Music cut: Running Away
David Okamoto is a content production manager at Yahoo in Dallas and a former contributor to Rollling Stone and the Dallas Morning News.
If you have opinions or rebuttals about this commentary, call (214) 740-9338 or email us.