(El Camino Media, released Fri 28 April 2017 on digital and vinyl)
With the proliferation of indie bands striking it out on their own on various online platforms, it’s no wonder so many cite 90s grunge as a primary influence. It could be the joyously sloppy guitar work and DIY ethic that allures as much as the prospect of restarting a movement prematurely terminated by toxic mainstream success and self-annihilation. It’s no surprise, then, that the Oklahoma City siblings group Skating Polly represent one of many groups today donning plaid and shattering their vocal chords. One upper hand they have over other groups is the patronage of musicians who were there, man: X’s Exene Cervenka, Babes in Toyland, The Flaming Lips’ former drummer Kliph Scurlock, and other alternative rock luminaries. If the favour of legends might sound like a musical conspiracy at first, Skating Polly’s esteemed backing and prolific output – four bristling LPs of grunge revival screamers over six years – should dispel any doubts that they’re worth their salt.
Their latest EP, New Trick (co-written by Louise Post and Nina Gordon of grunge veterans Veruca Salt), finds the group at their most accomplished and polished, but little of their sensibilities have faded. Skating Polly aren’t alone in their specialism of post-riot grrrl fury – from their tunes to their look (even the cover of New Trick looks like a lost Hole single) – but they exceed where other groups ultimately fail; they understand that 90s grunge music encompassed many things beyond the loud/quiet dichotomy, one of them being pure and simple pop. The tracks of New Trick practically sing, even when they snarl. The Peyton Bighorse-led track Louder in Outer Space takes its sweet time, revelling in the wilfully imperfect harmony of its chorus, while Kelli Mayo’s sung chorus on apocalyptic bubblegum track Black Sky has the warped tunefulness and lopsided beauty of a late Pixies track – as perfect a predecessor as any to their ‘ugly pop’ style. On standout track Hail Mary, Mayo growls with crisp clarity like a Kurt Cobain made more menacing by stripping away the feedback. Like Nirvana at their best, these songs are heavy – Hail Mary’s creeping guitar and newest member (and brother) Kurtis Mayo’s boneheaded drumming creates an unsettlingly taut canvas for Kelli’s slithering vocals, ideal for the chorus to come along and relieve the tension.
But, what exactly is the new trick here? There doesn’t seem to be many new ideas at work – just very well-executed versions of what already exist in abundance. With New Trick, Skating Polly lean in to a pop aesthetic only marginally present on previous releases – with a higher quality production to match. Ironically, however, the pop rock sheen on New Trick unveils just how unnerving Skating Polly can be.