The Polaris Music Prize long list was released today. It is my mission to listen to all 40 nominees in alphabetical order by artist name and review them here. Welcome to “The Polaris Project.”
But before I begin, can I just say how much Godspeed You! Black Emperor was snubbed for G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END? It didn’t even make the long list. Bullshit. I mean, I get that the Polaris committee is probably still mad at them for calling their whole deal “fucking insane” & it’s not like GY!BE would care about the lack of recognition, but I do! I care a lot about cultural awards for some reason, even though their very existence is kind of nonsensical. There’s simply no way that there are 40 Canadian albums better than G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END that came out in the past year.
I digress…
Late Stage Empire Dementia by Art Bergmann
Full of righteous indignation and with a vocal delivery reminiscent of late-career David Bowie, this album was … just fine? The mid-tempo, blues/rock riffs didn’t sustain my interest. The lyrics, inspired by the Indigenous rights movement and last summer’s George Floyd protests, were well-intentioned but often clunky and not particularly insightful. I guess protest slogans like “no justice, no peace” are more powerful when chanted by a large crowd, rather than sung raspily by an old punk musician from Canada.
I feel like I’m coming across as overly negative here. I don’t mean to be. Late Stage Empire Dementia was fine. Its heart is in the right place, which counts for something. But if I want socially-conscious, slightly wry punk rock from north of the 49th parallel, I’ll stick to Propagandhi.
Lowlight: “Your Second Amendment.” Goddamn your second amendment, Bergmann sings toward the end of this song. OK, dude. Your dislike of gun violence has been duly noted, but I honestly doubt that repealing a vaguely-worded constitutional amendment would make a difference. The “right to bear arms” as an abstract concept? You’re on notice, pal!!
2.5 stars out of 5.
Eau de Bonjourno by Bernice
Ahh. Nice. Slow, smooth, jazz-inflected electronic pop. Pleasant music that mostly fades into the background until, hey, wait a minute, are those saxophones? Huh, the bleeping and blooping switched up a bit. Now that’s neat.
Highlight: “Big Mato.” The lyric You are all invited to eat my salad was a delight. I had a nice chuckle at that.
Lowlight: “Personal Bubble.” The my personal bubble, my personal bubble motif in the chorus was catchy at first, but eventually becomes grating.
3.25 stars out of 5.
The Besnard Lakes Are the Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings by The Besnard Lakes
What’ve we got here? Some shoegaze-adjacent psychedelic rock? Cool. It says here “this album is flush with catchy harmonies, shimmering synths, and distorted guitars, anchored by a steady drumline.” That’s how I’d put it if I were a professional music reviewer, but I’m not. I get heavy Pink Floyd vibes here. I’ll let you decide whether that’s a good thing or an apt comparison. The songs were all twice as long as they needed to be, but I love that level of self-indulgence. As an album, it was supposedly a meditation on death & dying, but I’ll have to take the band’s word for it. I couldn’t make out many of the lyrics from behind the dense production and Jace Lasek’s thick falsetto.
Highlights: “Blackstrap,” “Our Heads, Our Hearts on Fire Again.”
4 stars out of 5.
Theory of Ice by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
Now we’re talking! This album is beautiful. The ascending, cathartic melodies contrast well with Simpson’s soft, reverbed vocals and meditative cadence. The first album on the list to get my patented Goosebumps Bonus™ for its rousing version of Willie Dunn’s “I Pity the Country.”
Highlights: “Break Up,” “I Pity the Country,” “Head of the Lake.”
4.25 stars out of 5.
Vital by Big Brave
To close out today’s Polaris nominees, it’s the first album that I’d previously heard. Big Brave play drone metal. If that’s your thing, you’ll love ’em and their entrancing, feedback-rich guitar drones. If not, well, “find some other band to listen to” would be my advice.
Highlights: “Abating the Incarnation of Matter,” “Half Breed.”
4.25 stars out of 5.
ruminations of a sad oaf. 