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I Hate the Way
Polly Scattergood
S/T
2009

♥: I think I have officially selected my favourite genre of music. Okay, no, I haven't, that's crazy (especially for anyone who, at our age, still lists "listening to music" as a hobby -- and good lord, it IS a hobby, okay, the time put in absolutely reaches hobby proportions!) -- but if you were to do a survey of my favourite songs or the songs to which I am most instantly drawn, the following category would probably come out just slightly, just a little, on top. And that category issss:

Female-fronted, electro and/or synth-influenced, altpop.

Who knows where that one came from, really (maybe Poe?). I can pinpoint New Wave (thanks mom), glam rock (thanks dad), goth (thanks adolescent fashion choices), so many more -- but there's something about this particular genre that just sticks its fingers in my side and makes me sit up straight, skips my little heartbeats, etc. Thing is, I already know so many femaled-fronted electropop outfits, it's hard to even find -- let alone really enjoy -- new ones. I have high standards and extensive experience, and if you sound exactly like someone else, well, why are you making music?

So imagine my excitement when, a couple weeks ago, I stumbled on Polly Scattergood. I'm shocked I hadn't heard about her before (2009? That was electropop's heyday!!), but I've been listening to this album on repeat since. I especially love her voice (it's unique, which is saying something) and how each song on the album sounds like the others (but not obnoxiously -- each seems like a refrain of the one before; it might be lazy songwriting but I'm going to pretend it's intentional until her next album comes out in June). The melodies are gorgeous, and in "I Hate the Way" specifically, the buildup of the song is so well-constructed -- each repeated line sounds intensely different from its antecedent, and it just works so, so well. I LOVE THIS SONG!, and I expect great things from Polly S in the future.

...and I hope it doesn't take me so long to find her [equivalents] next time.