Unfortunately, I can’t justifiably spend half a day or so on Mary Anne’s Polar Rig’s new (and second) album ‘Makes you wonder’ with so many other releases to contend with right now so I’ll focus on the last single from it, ‘Som en Dröm’ (‘Like a dream’). I hope it will give you a flavour at least.
In truth, after I wrote about a previous single in January, I thought it might be better to keep them at a polar rig’s distance because posting the review on Facebook got me a warning and a threat of excommunication from Big Mark’s goons for ‘breaking our social guidelines’ or something like that. I never found out exactly what it was all about, I think it might have been something to do with the word ‘dopamine’ in the song title.
Or perhaps that the other half of the title, ’detox’, refers to stopping being dependent on activities like social media! The plot thickens.
Anyway, I digress; ‘Makes You Wonder’ is about ambition. It’s a record the band made to explore new territory, to really see what they could do. ‘Som en Dröm’, is that ambition made real. Pushing the envelope, eh? I’m all for it.
I droned on at length about the math rock in the previous single but it doesn’t add up to much here. This is more fundamental rockery with a prominent (and melodic) bass line throughout and a guitar that sounds like an axe cutter although part way through it suddenly morphs into what could be late 1950s, early 1960s skiffle guitar and then towards the end it seems as if Eddie van Halen had arisen and been co-opted into the band for this one. Intriguing.
As for the video, your guess is as good as mine. My deduction was that it concerns a wartime spy dropped into Sweden to infiltrate Denmark by way of the Öresund Bridge (which wasn’t built then of course but you have to suspend disbelief) but the pilot missed the drop zone, depositing the spy into fields from which she has to walk to meet the resistance. Along the way she bumps into weird British electro rock crossover band and intergalactic crossdressers Henge, who just happen to be out for a stroll.
And you know what? That wasn’t a bad guess. MAPR’s socials say it’s “the dream world of a twisted detective seeking signs of alien activity in Malmö.”
It’s ambitious for sure but that never did any harm. On the strength of these two singles alone the album is well worth checking out.
‘Makes you wonder’ is out now on Rama Rama Records
Find them on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryannespolarrig/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannespolarrig/
Bandcamp: https://maryannespolarrig.bandcamp.com/music
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