A Promising Debut
The mini-album is an interesting concept, ostensibly it means that a band are saying, "Try it and see", while also hinting that when they release a full-length album there will be far more on show. Bearing this in mind, I eagerly await a I Love Poland's next LP to see just what they've been holding back.
The band strive to offer sleaze, but what's provided on this record is more electro-tease, like the slow seduction of 'Speaker!'s rippling, deep bassline grating against the tinny cymbal percussion. 'The Incredible Success' leans of Interpol-style Joy Division-mocking dark, atonal vocals to describe a story of suicide in deadpan splendour against a twinkling backing tale.
'Kill Yourself' is a slightly chaotic catchy little tune that advances a rather grim message, against an energetic percussive sample that couldn't possibly depress; this dichotomy of sounds and lyrics is pleasing and in the same way that Morrissey can sing about the bleak realities of life in a joyful manner, the electro mish-mash of I Love Poland lifts the vocals. After all the combination of blips, beeps and clattering is probably a distant relation of some computer game and no one ever really dies in computer games. Opener 'Not Ill' is a definite success with the marvellous swells of glassy synths and wonderful musing lyrics such as, "England is dead, who's this impostor?"
'Stereolegs' is a gentle, tingling tune that features a sweet teardrop sound bouncing above a cloud of dark, looming synth fuzz, rather like a tiny kitten being protected by a soft-hearted, but wild-looking bear.
On the evidence of these 7 tracks, I Love Poland are a group that could have real success, even with the other Joy Division revivalists such as Editors on the scene at the moment, this band carve themselves a unique and fascinating sound that I doubt will ever be mainstream, but those in the know can treasure.