POLLY MORRIS
Am I an Alien?
It says on the sleeve edge music to make you smile.
Polly Morris, is a true wordsmith, her upbeat and lyrical reflections on the idiosyncrasies of life are always a pleasure. Reminiscent to some degree of the late, great Victoria Wood.
In true Polly style, the album starts with the most positive breaking up song you’re likely to hear, focusing on the opportunities rather than the regrets, with appropriately happy sounding musical arrangement to match! This is followed by a Polly Morris, song about the trials and tribulations of having broken flip-flops whilst having a distance to walk home. Throughout the album we are taking to a variety of life‘s little problems, including an offspring who, due to lack of facility with mathematical calculations, when told that they could have three friends over, Polly arrived back to find that his counting was somewhat out and the house was full. There’s even a fantasy song about winning an award and who to thank and given a Polly kind of twise, who she will definitely leave out!. The spine of the album cover does bear the legend ‘Music To Make You Smile’ and it certainly lives up to the promise, but we do get a little more serious, as she admits to disguising feelings of anger on the outside and only been able to let them out in the privacy and warmth of a shower, something that may well strike chord with other listeners. Which takes us on to 2 songs that step outside the remainder of the album, good as it is, and presents us with songs of great emotional depth. ‘But I Do’ is about a visit to someone close who suffers from dementia and can no access the same delightful memories of shared experiences that Polly can. Added to this is ‘You’re The Only You’ a heartfelt reflection on letting go of a child and allowing them to become whatever they will by whatever means makes sense to them. Having spoken to others about the album, there is an admission that both songs are brought a deep emotional response and even the audit. It is therefore both somewhat spooky and decidedly ironic that ‘But I Do’ has actually won an award thanks to FATEA magazine, which deemed it track of the year.
It would be remiss to leave the review without giving credit to the musicians who have also contributed to making this, not only a lyrical feast but also a musically enjoyable experience and high production values, the songs being fully realised, often with a sixties/seventies pop sensibility to them that adds to the pleasure.
Am I An Alien? Has a title track that allows Polly to wonder whether she is out of step with the rest of the world – but at a time where we are surrounded by much that is doom and gloom, this Is an album to take you away from that and confirms what you already know or need to discover about Polly but also adds in some wonderful surprises. That’s it, but given her apparent ability for prophesies, I’m off to persuade her to write a song about my winning of the lottery. Fingers crossed that the album gets so listenership it deserves and that all our dreams can come true.
Am I an Alien?