Polysics - Now Is The Time

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 15 / 3 / 2006

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Review

Quirky go lucky, eh? Tokyo's foursome Polysics blend that old school 'new wave' feeling in a powerstruck mood with a winning formula of catchiness and skills. Polysics' new album is due soon from Tired And Lonesome in The UK but has been out in Japan for some months now. Better late than never as the jolly bouncing on 'Now Is The Time!' will get you drunk with happiness. The members of Polysics were probably conceived when punk became powerpop. The album has so many manic moments that it should be treated as an LP with a pause halfway through. Military precision made this album to be of enduring popping pleasure. Test the album on children! Don't serve sugar loaded fizzy drinks though since then you'll be busy all day long. Whilst each time I play the album a smile remains on my face, I felt heavenly silly listening to the one and only cover - of Suzi Quatro's, the wittily mispronounced 'Wild One'. For some mysterious reason 'Super Sonic' - which follows the close of side one of the imaginary LP - is not on the Japanese edition of the album and is only available as yet from the USA's Tofu label. A torrent of edgy hooks is its main characteristic but the schoolclass type of chants in a language only the Japanese speak leads to the surprisingly bluesy 'Boy's Head'. But crikey, then there's the Münich sound of one Moroder in 'Jhout!' and I'm inclined to put this 'Now Is The Time' next to Cornershop's 'When I Was Born for The Seventh Time' because of its similarly disparate cohesion. Polysics have gone far beyond the initial Nippon bubblegumpunk sound. Enjoy! It's a storm!

Track Listing:-

1 Tei! Tei! Tei!
2 Coelakanth Is Android
3 I My Me Mine
4 Ah-Yeah!!
5 Walky Talky
6 Wild One
7 Rack Rack
8 Toisu!
9 Boy's Head
10 Oh! Monaliza
11 Jhout
12 The Next World
13 Skip It
14 Baby BIAS
15 Bye-Bye-Bye