Sunday 2 December 2012

Polly Scattergood - Disco Damaged Kid

Amidst twinkling piano notes, some 70’s disco pulses and what sounds like a submarine sonar, Mute recording artist Polly Scatergood has returned with Disco Damaged Kid, a low key release as a taster for her second full length, to be released next year.

Polly’s debut album was a disturbingly vulnerable piece of work with themes of suicide, dark relationships and insecure sexual desire. Yet this time it seems she’s not singing of slashing her wrists or being called a whore, instead she’s thrown away her neediness and developed at least a bit of composure and strength; even when a relationship hasn’t worked out. “Just leave I wish you well, it wasn’t our fault that the skyline fell, couldn’t breathe, tried to speak, we kept on, we kept on running with chains around our feet” she sings. Elsewhere she adds lyrics about “don’t need saving” and “I feel safe,” which seems almost an about turn from the first record, she even vocalises this change explaining in the song that she doesn’t know herself that well these days.

In terms of the music, Disco Damaged Kid sounds more expansive and easier to listen to than the unsettling songs on her debut and has raised our interest considerably. Our anticipated albums 2013 list is already getting pretty long.

Polly will be road testing some of her new material on a small tour of venues in the south over the next few days starting tomorrow night in Breaking More Waves home town of Portsmouth (expect a few tweets from that here) at the Cellars, where she’ll be supported by one of our Ones to Watch for 2013 Curxes. The gigs finish in London at Madame Jo Jo’s on December 11. Keep an eye out for more material next year from Polly and more from Curxes as we progress into the forthcoming week on the blog. 

Polly Scattergood - Disco Damaged Kid

No comments: