Polly Scattergood

“I’ll have ribbons on my fingers and cuts on my wrist” – “Poem Song”

The character of the damaged, kooky girl with messy hair and a vintage dress is in vogue right now, and within the first five minutes of Polly Scattergood’s debut self-titled album, it’s obvious that she plays the role well.

Flecked with references to self-harm, suicide and drug use, songs like “I Hate the Way,” “Please Don’t Touch” and “Poem Song” are hardly the poetic confessions they aspire to be. Rather, they are clumsy glorifications of depression. Teenage melodrama unsubtly put into artfully stammered phrases. “If I say [in a song] I am going to take pills, that doesn’t mean I’m going to take pills,” Scattergood told the Guardian. The lack of honesty in her tortured lyrics is apparent, however, even without this clarification.

Scattergood’s affected vocals are high-pitched and childlike, akin to those of indie darlings Joanna Newsome and Karen O. At points they echo the theatrics of Kate Bush, but when combined with Scattergood’s obvious and angst-ridden lyrics, they sound more contrived and whiny than emotive.

Musically, however, Scattergood’s debut is redeemed. Pretty piano tinkerings in a minor key are combined with well-placed synth reminiscent of Peter Gabriel with Kate Bush. The building, dramatic choruses in songs like ‘I Hate the Way’ are framed by gentle verses, beginnings and endings - the ingredients for a perfect pop song. Polly Scattergood’s talent as a musician is apparent, but is continually muffled by adolescent lyrics and forced vocals.

Label: Mute
Release Date: 03/09/09

-Corinna Burford