Polyphonic Spree The Fragile Army CD

On 2007's THE FRAGILE ARMY, the many members of the Polyphonic Spree trade in their colorful robes for black military-inspired uniforms, effectively altering their collective look from JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR to Pink Floyd's THE WALL. Those expecting a radical sonic shift are met halfway: while frontman Tim De Laughter and company have crafted a denser and moodier album than past Spree outings, ARMY is far from dark, a point best illustrated by the restless "Get Up and Go," which boasts an edgier guitar-and-piano-heavy approach that nonetheless features the Texan group's signature symphonic, pomp-and-circumstance singalongs. And anyone worried about a dearth of trilling flute lines and soaring melodies will be warmly reassured by the jubilant "Running Away," which proves that the Spree may change, but they're still raising their hands to the sky.

Unknown Contributor Role: Mark Pirro.

Personnel: Tim DeLaughter (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion); Annie Clark (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Evan Hisey (vocals, organ, synthesizer, sampler); Kelly Repka, Julie Doyle, Jessica Jordan, Jennie Kelley (vocals); Audrey Easley (whistling, flute, piccolo, EWI); Philip E Karnats (guitar); Ryan Fitzgerald (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Daniel Hart (viola); Sara Donaldson (cello); Logan Keese (trumpet, cornet); Matt Bricker (trumpet); Louis Schwadron (French horn); Mike Garson (piano); Mike Dillon (vibraphone, percussion); Bryan Wakeland (drums, percussion).

Recording information: Electrical Audio, Chicago, IL; Maximedia, Dalls, TX; Pachyderm Studio, Cannon Falls, MN; Space Way Studios, Duncanville, TX; The Triplex, Dallas, TX.

Spin (p.102) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he band tests the limits of its quasi-religious, happy-all-the-time ethos with songs that surprisingly explore the range of human emotion."
Uncut (p.93) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[G]utsier than their previous angelic hippie singalongs, with hints of Bowie's glam era peeping through the billowing curtains of harmonies..."
Magnet (p.106) - "The soaring 'Running Away' and the delicate 'We Crawl' are textbook shiny, hopeful Spree. The band is just giving it to us straighter than before."
CMJ (p.43) - "Tracks like 'Running Away' still maintain a certain level of spiritual uplift, but they do so with hummable hooks and tasteful brevity.....ARMY is Spree's first bull's eye."