Contrary to what some will admit, most people are suckers for a good pop song. Good pop songs cause a feeling of easiness in your mind, almost making you forget about your anxieties in these recession-hit times. Seattle-based pop-rockers Poland (from Seattle, I must stress) are a perfect example of how easy-going pop-rock can be done right.
Although song writing credits sit entirely with front men Mark Bombara and Mark Romanowski, it is the full band's effort that makes this release such a gem. With eight members in all, they're no small party, but each member gets a fair turn with their respective instruments.
Little time is wasted on convincing the listener. Within the first 30 seconds of opening track "Almost Metropolis", a plethora of instruments quickly create an entire season of delightful pop music. Don't let Brian Wilson hear this. "Factorytown" is just own of many lazy pop ditties that positively litter this album, while "Dear Miss Kensington" is a trippy little number befitting some long lost Disney film. The album ends on "The Golden Age of Everything", which is as quaint a closer as you could ask for.
There's a distinctly international flavour to the album, which evokes the great British pop-rock of the sixties as much as it relates to the ultra-current hipster folk scene. However, it is the fact that Poland manage to so potently combine the two without forcing it that makes them so impressive. This band just makes great pop music.