It Goes Without Saying: A Quick Review Of The New Album From Mike Polizze (Purling Hiss, Birds Of Maya)

There's a restlessness in some of the material on Around Sound, the new record from Mike Polizze, that suggests new paths to follow. The music here is familiar in spots for fans of Polizze's other bands (Purling Hiss, Birds of Maya), but lots of it stands completely on its own.

On "After the Deluge" and the title cut there's more than a hint of Nebraska-era Bruce, though this Philly-based singer is not as intent on narrative drama. The tunes, stripped down and clattering with folk and blues accents, approximate the weight of the pioneers of those forms, but Polizze isn't setting out to advance the genres as much as approximate the same feeling. At his best here, like on the shaggy-yet-catchy "It Goes Without Saying", the musician finds a sweet spot where the styles he's adopting suit the loose hooks of the indie he's crafting.

Around Sound can be enjoyed by anyone without any knowledge of Mike Polizze's work in Purling Hiss or Birds of Maya. That said, a little goes a long way, and the lengthy, down-tempo ramblings in a few places give this effort an unfinished vibe. Fans of Bill Nace, The War on Drugs, and MJ Lenderman may find parts of this a little interesting.

Around Sound by Mike Polizze is out now via Paradise of Bachelors.

[Photo: Patrick Hickey]