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Polyon – ‘Crest’ from Polyon on Vimeo.
On their Facebook page, trio Polyon describe themselves as “sludgie fuzzpop b/w of post-grunge.” While the sludgie part is hard to argue, critics (like WAMU and DCist) generally have agreed that Polyon represent an interesting addition to post-rock — and for good reason. The avant-garde mix of synths to a rock band along with an untraditional approach to songwriting have produced something that sounds like it could have emerged from an early ’90s basement recording session, but then took wing once emerged.
Their first EP, appropriately titled Three Songs, includes the tracks “Crest,” “More” and “Cough,” which they performed in concert to several dozen appreciative people at DC9 (1940 9th St. NW, DC) on Thursday night.
I’m really splitting hairs here, but “Crest” and “Cough” each soar amthetically in performance while “More” is more down to earth in the post-grunge that the band finds in itself.
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In Polyon, each of the band members pull their own weight. Vocalist and guitarist Ryan McLaughlin (also of Typefighter and other projects) marks the proceedings with a gruff voice but convivial spirit. Adam Lake on synths adds an element of playfulness to the “sludgieness,” while drummer Brandon Korch is really loud with arena-like stickplay.
The band have played roughly a dozen shows since their debut roughly six months ago, and Ryan announced they were set to go into the studio next week to record another EP, likely to be released online and in cassette format soon, which will include new songs already being performed such as the catchy “False.”
Polyon is an interesting project, and worth checking out if you are looking for something that isn’t afraid to sound different while still rocking out. While their next show has yet to be announced, they are likely to turn up with their new EP at DC9, the Pinch, or another DC venue very soon!
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