[.ca] Todays Active Lifestyles

one of my favorite rock'n'roll albums of all time! :):
if you're getting bored with rock muzak, i seriously advise listening to this album; if you need to hear one polvo record, i'd reluctantly say that this is it, although they're all amazing (despite "cor-crane"'s relative normality and "shapes"' forays into ironi-wankrawk mode)...

blah:
a step backwards from "Cor-Crane Secret", this one still has the same queasy guitar sounds but few of the songs have the same quality of screwed-up melody, clever arrangements, and sheer listenability that made that album work so well. Although this album has plenty of great ideas, the combination of melody and experimentation rarely gels in a very satisfying manner. Plus, a lot of the instrumentation is extremely sloppy, like they didn't even practice before recording it. Like all their albums following "Cor-Crane Secret", this one has a couple of good songs but never really makes it far beyond mediocre.

Timeless:
This is probably the most consistant and accessible Polvo album and for that reason, it's the best place to begin if you're just getting into them. Polvo has a distinctive sound, but still each of these songs sounds different from the next. Action Vs. Vibe, Lazy Comet, and Time Isn't on My Side are all catchy, and the album ends with the classic Polvo song, "Gemini Cusp." Start here and follow it up with "Celebrate the New Dark Age," which despite the title, is much lighter than "Today's Active Lifestyles"

My favorite Polvo album:
Oh yeah, they're all at least pretty good if not better than that, but this one is insanely good. The sounds that are tortured out of the guitars, and the resulting way that it shapes particularly songs, is what sets this one apart. It's hard to describe it if you haven't yet heard it... so just get it already.

Brilliant:
I've been listening to Polvo going on eight years now and their cds still amaze me. One of the best bands around. Truly original guitar sounds.

• Thermal Treasure
• Lazy Comet
• My Kimono
• Sure Shot
• Stinger (Five Wigs)
• Tilebreaker
• Shiska
• Time Isn't on My Side
• Action Vs. Vibe
• Gemini Cusp