Polvo

Never a band to follow formulaic musical styles, Polvo once again shakes things up with its twisted song structures of multiple tempos and intricate, distorted guitars. Today's Active Lifestyles goes from the raucous "Thermal Treasure," with its tangled guitars, into the meandering "Lazy Comet," with its singsong, rhyming lyrics, to the spare, melancholy "My Kimono," which features a solo by guitarist Ash Bowie. And that's just the album's first three songs! The band experiments with several ideas throughout the album, and each concept is successful. The album ranges from cascading guitar solos in "Stinger (Five Wigs)" to the straightforward "Tilebreaker" to the catchy, rolling, keyboard-punctuated "Time Isn't on My Side." Overall, it's an excellent album with many layers. You can listen to it over and over again and still catch new things going on in every song. ~ Tracy Frey, All Music Guide