Polar Bear Club - Death Chorus (2013) [Gorgatz]

Polar Bear Club - Death Chorus (2013) [Gorgatz]



- I N F O -

With Death Chorus, Polar Bear Club have made one big change to their sound that could very well throw off long time listeners. Vocalist Jimmy Stadt has abandoned his trademark gruff singing in favor of something cleaner, and it’s nearly unrecognizable. One major component of PBC has always been Jimmy’s gruffness, but you can no longer count on that. And sadly, the music just isn’t the same with these smooth, forgettable vocals.

The album at least starts with one of its stronger songs. “Blood Balloon” is fueled by a carefree punk/rock melody that opens into an energetic and somewhat soaring chorus as Jimmy sings out “Hold me down for an hour or two”. Skip ahead to “So I Buy” for the next highlight, which features a strong structure, catchy chorus, and well done bridge. What follows from there are two of the best tracks on Death Chorus. First, you have “For Show”, which has a really powerful message and chorus that will be stuck in your head for days. Then there’s “Siouxsie Jeanne”, which is slow, short, and sweet. And just as PBC opened strong, they close strong with “Upstate Mosquito”, a track that is more elaborately constructed, and fueled by memorable lyrics.

Admittedly, Death Chorus does become better if you listen to it over and over again, learning the songs. But that doesn’t change the fact that Polar Bear Club just don’t sound like themselves with Jimmy singing clean. It’s definitely a step backwards for the band, and makes them less recognizable in a crowd of their competitors. You want to be able to stand out in the music scene, not blend in. Hopefully, Jimmy will return to his gruffness the next time around.

- T R A C K L I S T -

1. Blood Balloon
2. Graph Paper Glory Days
3. So I Buy
4. For Show
5. Siouxsie Jeanne
6. WLWYCD
7. Chicago Spring
8. When We Were College Kids
9. Twang (Blister To Burn)
10. Upstate Mosquito

Format: MP3, VBR V0 kbps
Genre: Punk Rock/Melodic Hardcore
Size: 65.05