Polyphonic Spree,
Together We're Heavy

Label: Hollywood Records
Year: 2004

(3½ out of 5)

Together We're Heavy, the second release from Tim DeLaughter's über-group, is unquestionably an improvement over The Beginning Stages Of…. The sound is tighter, the vocals are crisper, the instrumentation is slightly more varied and not so overpowering. And, perhaps most importantly, the lyrics for all 10 songs probably could fit on more than a half-sheet of paper.

Yet the album still sounds like what the group is—an incomplete experiment, the hypothesis of which remains undefined. As DeLaughter says on the included DVD, The Polyphonic Spree is a celebration; but he has no idea what it is they're celebrating.

Happiness, joy, self-awareness: these are the hallmarks of The Polyphonic Spree. They also are the hallmarks of dozens of charismatic religious musicians. With lyrics like It's the feel-good time of day! and The coolness is to find your way, sometimes it's hard to distinguish between the two.

Like its predecessor, Together We're Heavy is a guilty listening pleasure. It's the perfect antidote for a crappy day. But unless you feel comfortable prancing around in your colored (or white, for you retro fans) robe singing Hail to the sky / It's time to watch a show / The trees want to grow / Grow grow grow, it's a pleasure best reserved for private occasions where a pick-me-up is needed.

Buy: Lone Star Music, Amazon

August 20, 2004