In Prism
Studio album by
Polvo
ReleasedSeptember 8, 2009
GenreIndie rock, math rock, progressive rock
Length49:22
LabelMerge Records
ProducerBrian Paulson, Polvo
Polvo chronology
Shapes
(1997)		 In Prism
(2009)		 Siberia
(2013)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The A.V. ClubB+[3]
The Boston Globe[4]
Filter74%[1]
Pitchfork Media8.1/10[5]
PopMatters[6]
Spin[7]
Tiny Mix Tapes[8]
Tom HullB+((3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention))[9]
Under the Radar[10]

In Prism is Polvo's fifth studio album, and their first since 1997's Shapes. It was recorded by Brian Paulson and was released on Merge Records on September 8, 2009.[11] The track "Beggar's Bowl" was streamed online.[12]

Reception

In Prism received a Metacritic score of 79 based on 14 reviews, indicating a generally favorable critical reception. Jason Lymangrover of AllMusic writes: "Polvo's first studio album since 1997's Shapes, 2009's In Prism is a solid return to mathy form. Although 12 years is a long hiatus, it's hardly noticeable that time has passed, with the exception of a few machinery and personnel updates [...] Along with getting mathy and ultra-precise, the band takes the opposite approach and elongates passages, stretching songs into psychedelic space rock territory and surpassing the eight-minute mark on several occasions. As an album, In Prism may not quite live up to the explosiveness of Today's Active Lifestyles -- it's more like the calmer (and produced) Shapes. But even if it's not their best ever, it's a valid comeback that should appease longing fans." Despite a middling score, John Everheart of Under the Radar called it "a sprawling, psychedelic masterwork, rife with knotty tangles of discordance and serpentine riffs." Stuart Berman of Pitchfork wrote: "In Prism could be the first Polvo album where the melodies leave as lasting an impression as the noise around them, with Bowie tapping into a more guileless mode of expression that rarely revealed itself before."

Track listing

  1. "Right the Relation" - 5:36
  2. "D.C. Trails" - 6:57
  3. "Beggar's Bowl" - 5:01
  4. "City Birds" - 5:21
  5. "Lucia" - 8:15
  6. "Dream Residue/Work" - 5:48
  7. "The Pedlar" - 3:37
  8. "A Link in the Chain" - 8:47

Personnel

Polvo are credited as the primary artists & producers. The remaining credits are adapted from AllMusic:

  • Chris Eubank - Cello
  • River Guerguerian - Percussion
  • Brian Paulson - Engineer, Mixing, Producer
  • Alan Douches - Mastering
  • Julian Dreyer - Assistant Engineer
  • Michael Klayman - Photography
  • Ashley Worley - Photography
  • Gordon Zacharias - Photography

References

  1. 1 2 "In Prism by Polvo" – via www.metacritic.com.
  2. ↑ Allmusic review
  3. ↑ "Polvo: In Prism". Music. 8 September 2009.
  4. ↑ "Polvo, 'In Prism'". Boston.com – via The Boston Globe.
  5. ↑ "Polvo: In Prism". Pitchfork.
  6. ↑ "Polvo: In Prism". PopMatters. September 9, 2009.
  7. ↑ "SPIN". September 2009.
  8. ↑ "Polvo - in Prism | MUSIC REVIEWS | Tiny Mix Tapes". Archived from the original on 2009-09-14. Retrieved 2016-05-29.
  9. ↑ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Polvo".
  10. ↑ Everhart, John. "In Prism". www.undertheradarmag.com.
  11. ↑ "Pitchfork: Polvo Sign to Merge for Reunion Album". pitchfork.com. Archived from the original on June 11, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Premiere: Polvo: "Beggar's Bowl" | News". Pitchfork. 2009-06-18. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
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