Summer is on reboot. We can't get rid of
those hazy summer days our man Nat King Cole crooned about all those years
ago. The Pollies remind me of lazy, rolling days of August end. Much like
today as we start off October 2, (2 years since Mr. Petty exited stage left),
in a kittenish sundress complete with functional flip flops. My hair reacts
well to humidity. I appear as am nonchalant as a gentle wind. Perfect
time to listen to The Pollies. Witness Jay Burgess and his band of
charming outlaws hijack your system like an unaffected thief. Slow your
roll. Stick around.
Meet the band -
Jay Burgess - Guitars / Vox
Spencer Duncan - Bass
Jon Davis - Drums / Percussion
Jon Davis - Drums / Percussion
Clint Chandler - Keys & Things
The band’s camaraderie is evident as they were sharing a laugh when the video began. They exude comfortable
insouciance when playing. The unhurried synchronized
playing is definitive Pollies’style. This song is off their 2nd album, Not
Here. The studio version of this song ascends and drops with more
lustrous string power. This live performance is paired down to the unadorned necessities.
It’s obvious they are content to jam for an audience. Still, if
you don’t show up, physically or emotionally,) they are going to play exactly
the same way. Attempt to stay off your phone during live sets of music. The
Pollies style needs to be savored. This music marinated in my brain before I put
pen to paper. I did write it up long hand. It felt appropriate given the evocative feel of their homemade music. While listening
to the Pollies pair nostalgia with modern musical arrangements, I let myself
get lost in their good vibrations.
Brian Wilson sang, “I guess I just wasn’t made for
these”. I lately find myself longing for simpler times. That search is
what brought me to the Pollie’s ripe with nostalgia offerings. I ppreciate this
style of porch music (I heard someone use that once}. Porches are magic.
I’ve listened to my fair share of friends rocking their chair while jamming. These
gentlemen feel like they are burst into an impromptu porch set. They hail from the great swampy soulful city of Muscle Shoals.
Jay’s conversations with Jimmy Johnson aided his trajectory as a musician. “He
was a bad ass on so many levels. I am doing my best.” You can move a dude to
Nashville, but you can’t extract the Muscle Shoals mentality from man’s soul
Jay’s raconteur lyrical style revolves around topics such as lust,
complicated love, as well as inevitable loss. Tolerance of your current
situation while accepting the foibles of your past propels this band’s songs. They
go deep. You relate to these guys. You want to buy them a beer at the end of
the show while swapping modern love stories. He/She did me wrong tales on
the quest to discover the one who will do you right. This song alludes to
a meeting someone in person as opposed to swiping right.
They are creating music layered with depth. Spencer's stellar bass
playing enhances this song. Before, the first riff, he took a puff of his
lit cigarette. The smoke swirled around their frames as they played. Fitting. Sinewy
bass lines mix like jack and Coke with Jon’s stable drum beat as it anchors
this track. The sturdy rhythm section feels like they are exactly the right temperament
for Jay’s voice. Clint, the prince of “keys and things” spread a Navajo Indian
style blanket over his knees as his fingers fandango across the board. Like a
good accessory, it brought out the best when he added random resonances.
Random fun fact – Jay wore a bitching Alabama trucker hat for
years. He only retired it because it “fell apart”. Now he sports suede floppy
hat. This seems like an apt way to end this as the Pollies are shedding some of
their Americana skin to motor in new directions.
Keep your eye pealed for tomorrow’s post. I will break down their
latest offering, “Transmissions”. It’s been out in the world for a year.
Dropped 9/28/18. What a difference a year. Check it on Bandcamp. Listen, share,
support. You know how it’s done. Also Jay answered some of my burning
questions. Check back tomorrow. For now, lose yourself in the hazed
reverberations of the Pollies.
Not Here as described on
Bandcamp.
 |
| That hat! |
Not Here is the 2nd full-length release from The Pollies, and
their first for Single Lock. No Depression says, "I never thought that an
album like this would follow on the heels of Where the Lies Begin -- but it
would be hard for anyone to top Not Here. This is absolutely album-of-the-year
material.
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