The Polyphonic Spree: Yes, It's True (Good/Kirtland) Review

The Polyphonic Spree

Yes, It’s True

Good/Kirtland

Aug 07, 2013 Web Exclusive By Tom Fenwick

Returning in exuberant form with their first original material for almost six years, Yes, It’s True sees Tim Delaughter’s expansive Dallas pop collective attempt to take in a broader sonic scope. A tendency to lean more heavily than before on grand theatricality—possibly a hangover from their recent reworking of The Rocky Horror Picture Show—only accentuates the boundless optimism of their uplifting sun-dappled pop. When it works well, as it does on “Carefully Try” or “Your Golden,” they create musical vignettes that tread the line between bittersweet and upbeat. When it falters, it sees them dip into an irritating self-parody, one which undermines their soaring harmonies by mining well-trodden ground; rampant horns and hand claps are a weary accompaniment to Delaughter’s strained aphorisms on tracks such as “What Would You Do?” Like the original cast recording of a musical yet to be staged—and undoubtedly they must be quite the experience live-Yes, It’s True has interesting moments, but ultimately makes for an insubstantial and at times deeply vapid experience. (www.thepolyphonicspree.com)

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