SIBERIA

While this may be Polvo's most direct statement in all their recorded history, it ranks with the best of anything the band has released prior to 2013. This may be easy to write, but let it be said, this feat of a band taking an extended break and returning with a great album, "In Prism" - and later a dare to be argued out right classic in "Siberia" - rarely EVER happens. It just doesn't. Real life intrudes, responsibility pulls creative energy to more domestic, well regarded directions - and that's alright, I would never wish my favorite band and empty existence all because their life is ruled by 'expected' albums and tours. That's alot of weight to pack on the shoulders of anyone. "Siberia" harbors the uniqueness, and surprise as their best "Today's Active Lifestyles" delivered, and yet their are a multitude of moments that leave the listener breathless. I would even argue this the album to convert underground guitar rock fans that have yet to hear the band. Your damn right I'm biased - Polvo has been my favorite band since the early singles (kitchen puff?) - my favorite show happened to be catching them in a tiny room above a sports bar across from Boston Garden so many years ago...just like a living room show, their was even a keg in the corner...leaving during Helium's set just so we could catch transit and make it back to Nashua, NH where I lived at the time...I hope they keep making music, I still cannot believe how relentlessly impressive "Siberia" is - I sincerely doubt any one album will beat this for the year's best release. On a side note, the bass playing is at an all time high, and is recorded fantastically to where it is featured and pulls your attention in without rolling all over the twisting, twining guitar impressions. 10/10.

The only song I knew from years ago was "Mexican Radio". Since then, I've bought all their albums, and there isn't one dud on any of them. These guys are truly top-notch musicians and know how to weave a mood using their instruments. I like their off-beat lyrics which rank up there with the best of the beat poets. After a long hiatus, Siberia is back, and I'm giving it front-burner attention as I do with all new purchases. But Polvo's music I keep going back to over and over, and find that particular riffs or a slice of a lyric pop into my head at odd times (sometimes inconvenient, but welcome nonetheless) during the day. This is a 5-star event. Welcome back, boys.

I heard about this recording in Stereophile magazine. I listened to a few tracks and loved it. This is great stuff and great to hear some different style of music that is above what is out there in the mainstream. Highly recommend you give a listen.

amazing that they could take a decade plus long break and come back with this. the best polvo album

I’m not sure how this band does it. Each album is just as good if not better than the last. Very enjoyable from start to finish

Here's the story of Superchunk: the four-piece band surfaced in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, releasing a string of great records in the 1990's. Although acclaimed by the musical community, they spent most of the 90's just bubbling beneath the mainstream conscious. After a decade of playing together, the band amicably split up to persue other projects, but they reformed in the late 2000's. They released a reunion album on Merge Records that was embraced by fans and newcomers a like, and in 2013, they're releasing their second post-hiatus album. This story should sound familiar because it's also the story of unsung indie-rock heroes Polvo. Polvo's 2009 reunion album In Prism to Superchunk's Majesty Shredding -- both albums showed that time had little (or no) effect on the respective band's sounds. Polvo retained the same angular, noisy brand of indie rock that they really perfected with Today's Active Lifestyles. The difference between these albums is that Majesty Shredding felt like a victory lap - it felt like Superchunk was aware that their album was returning to the anticipation and fanfare of diehard fans. In Prism, on the other hand, felt much more labored, as if Polvo still had something to prove. The follow-up to that reunion album, Siberia feels similar - this is a band that's flown mostly under the radar, and they never feel bored or ever comfortable with their sound. This far into their career, Polvo is still tinkering with their sound and playing with their formula. Many trace modern math rock's roots directly to Polvo's work in the 1990's, and even though the band has disavowed the classification, it's descriptive of their sound. The music can change rhythms at the drop of a hat - songs stop and start, guitars stumbled and crash into one another - and while the songs could feel jumbled, the band always took care to craft a good melody to center on. Siberia marks a change in Polvo's traditional sound, and instead of relying on guitar-centric arrangements, much of the album is dependent on the rhythm section. The bass and drums are louder in the mix, and the songs here depend more on the rhythm lines for momentum than the usual guitar work Polvo is known for. This change allows the band to hit some amazing grooves that weren't always possible in the more lightweight compositions of the 90's. Frontman Ash Bowie stated that the band rehearsed less on Siberia than on any album, and you can hear the difference. The music of Siberia isn't heady, overwrought, or cerebral, but it's heavier and more engaging. Every guitar riff on this album sounds like it requires a feat of strength to perform - the band has economized their music, and less is more. The math rock tendencies that has defined Polvo until now are less prevalent and now used primarily to better inform the melodies at the core of these songs. Many of these songs sound pretty "normal" on first blush, and even a little generic. The generic production and mix of the album does the music little favors, but it's a sound that grows with each listen. Siberia could very well be Polvo's finest album yet. The album isn't as idiosyncratic as some of their past work, but there's not a single lackluster track on this album. The jagged edges have been smoothed, the jarring transitions have been mostly removed, and the melody has been brought to the forefront. Songs like "Water Wheel" or "Anchoress" have some hooks that are impossible to ignore, but the rhythm achieved by the bass and drums is equally undeniable. Siberia's greatest strength may lie in its cohesiveness. At eight tracks long, each song is distinct, but the album itself achieves one singular sound. Each of these songs sound like they couldn't have existed in any other way than the way they are presented, so while some of Siberia sounds carefully planned, each transition feels as if it is the only transition that could have ever worked. Siberia is a slow burn, but after a few spins the rewards of this album are apparent and irresistible. If you haven't boarded the Polvo train yet, now's just as good a place as any. Key Tracks: "The Water Wheel" "Anchoress" "Blues is Loss"

perfection

I love everything Polvo has ever made, but Siberia is without a doubt my favorite thing they've made. The guitar work and arrangements on this album are so insanely good. It still sounds like Polvo, but a matured version, which has made them more selective in their dissonance which really makes it extra special. The overall vibe has an autumn feel to it, if that makes any kind of sense at all, but there's just something spooky about a lot of the tracks on here in the best way possible. Now it's 2020, it's been 6 years since this one guys, release something new! Nobody's getting any younger!

Polvo. Reborn. This album could easily of passed as their debut. It sound THAT fresh. It retains the classic Polvo dischordant sound and quirkyness but adds a whole load of melody too. Most of Polvos back catalouge is genius (apart from the truly dreadful 'Shapes') This however i consider a work of art. A truly great alt/noise cd that should be an essential addition to fans of the likes of Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth et al. An undergound gem and possibly the coolest cd you have never heard of!