Polish Club “Alright Already”

Regular readers will know we tend to steer away from rock duos but there are always a few exceptions to the rule. The fact that Polish Club are offering an opportunity to ‘come party’ and are described as soul-punk slammers meant we were keen to give them a chance.

On first listening, it’s easy to just see opener “Where U Been” as a relatively rudimentary indie/garage rock tune. But that would be underestimating the hidden soul within the track. That’s not to say there is anything wrong with some straight forward (quality) indie rock. And Polish Club do deliver that with “Beat Up” and “Broke” or even the more punk rocking “Beeping”.

However, the band really excel with bringing in a more soulful element to their sound. That’s apparent on the instantly appealing “Come Party” and “Why Should I”. These tracks actually reminded us of the sadly forgotten Mo Solid Gold (a band that emerged from the excellent These Animal Men).

It’s a tough job to effectively merge rock n roll and soul without resulting in a total mish mash of sounds. But Polish Club pull that off to stunning effect on the glorious “It Was Me” and the ‘Spector’ sound of “How To Be Alone”. They’re the kind of songs that make your heart sing.

On this release we see a band that can show a huge array of influences but still bring something which is unique. They effortlessly go from the traditional rock n roll feel of “Watchuknow” to the Kings Of Leon like swagger rock of “Able” and even the countrified “My Delight”. The whole thing then ends on the brilliant “Victorious” which is like The Killers delivering an awesome Elvis ballad.

Given the wealth of dull bands churning out boring indie rock n roll, it’s a relief to hear a band doing something a little different. There’s a real texture to this album which makes you think that Polish Club could be a very special band. It’s about time someone brought some soul back in to our rock n roll.