☭ marselip0910 叶俊华™

Label Mute
Release Date May 19, 2009


English singer/songwriter Polly Scattergood's eponymous debut oozes the kind of potential that makes one forgive the occasional misstep. Her heart is firmly sewn into her sleeve, and she details the peaks, valleys, and especially the wreckage of that muscular organ in a way that only those trapped in their self-absorbed late teens and early twenties can. Less vindictive and aloof than Lily Allen, less stylized and groomed for oblivion than Amy Winehouse, but possessing both of those artists' penchant for slick, confessional, melodic pop diatribes, Scattergood embraces the early 21st century electro-dance-pop of London proper with a voice that suggests a childhood filled with endless nights spent listening to Kate Bush, Tori Amos, and Nine Inch Nails. At her best, like on the slow-burn opener "I Hate the Way," the lovelorn Xanax and sambuca anthem "Other Too Endless," and the rousing single "Nitrogen Pink," she successfully bridges the gap between teen pop and adult alternative rock, but when she gets stuck in the confessional too long ("Poem Song," "Breathe in Breathe Out"), the results are more indulgent than powerful. ~ James Christopher Monger

Recording information: Alpha Centauri, London, England; Beethoven St., London, England; Eastcote, London, England; Mark Angelo, London, England; Metropolis Mix Cave, London, England; Miloco, London, England; Polly's Flat, London, England; Sofa Sound, London, England; St Lukes, London, England; Strongroom, London, England; The Instrument, London, England; The Suite Utopia Village, London, England; Wrights Lane, London, England.

Unknown Contributor Role: Mike Alvarez.

Personnel: Polly Scattergood (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, synthesizer, Moog synthesizer, percussion, background vocals); Mike Alvarez (guitar); Simon Fisher Turner (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, synthesizer, Moog synthesizer); Freddie Smith (violin); Anne "Bob" Carruthers (cello); Kate St. John (accordion); Jaz Delorean (piano); Asaf Sirkis (percussion); Jon Collier (programming); Imogen Parry (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Daniel Miller; Gareth Hughes Jones; Rich Costey.

Billboard (p.54) - "[Scattergood] threads together upbeat pop melodies with electronic and dark synth beats....The mystery is just part of the appeal."

1. I Hate The Way
2. Other Too Endless
3. Untitled 27
4. Please Don't Touch
5. I Am Strong
6. Unforgiving Arms
7. Poem Song
8. Bunny Club
9. Nitrogen Pink


10. Breathe In Breathe Out



◎ 倫敦名校BRIT School又一傑出校友，年僅22歲酷絕創作女聲，首張一鳴驚人同名專輯
◎ 資深製作人Simon Fisher Turner與Gareth Jones（Depeche Mode、Erasure、Einstuerzende Neubauten、Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds）聯手打造，驕傲獻上古怪多變個性派女聲初體驗
◎ 直率大膽、晦澀陰暗的歌詞，雖讓人膽顫心驚，卻又不偏不倚地引起共鳴

英國BBC Radio 1 DJ Rob Da Bank：「她是21世紀的Kate Bush！」
Time Out：「近幾年來最刺激有趣的處女大碟！」

英國倫敦藝術學校BRIT School（全名The London School for Performing Arts & Technology）栽培了無數的藝術人才，樂壇上許多發光發熱的明星，像是Amy Winehouse、Leona Lewis、Adele、Kate Nash、The Kooks主唱Luke Pritchard、Imogen Heap與Katie Melua等知名歌手，皆是以該校為榮的畢業生。而目前年僅22歲的個性派創作歌手「波莉Polly Scattergood」也是出自BRIT School的傑出校友，曾為Laura Marling暖場演出的她，被樂評人視為近期不可多得的實力派歌手。The Telegraph形容她是「Lo-Fi版Kate Bush與PJ Harvey在21世紀的綜合體」，並對她過人的才華、熱情與飄逸多變的音樂風格讚不絕口；Time Out更直接點名這張專輯是「近幾年來最新鮮刺激的處女大碟」。

身為家中長女的Polly Scattergood有兩個弟弟，他們在科爾徹斯特Colchester附近的小鎮長大，12歲時她接觸了創作才女Suzanne Vega的音樂作品，因而開啟她對創作的興趣。16歲時她搬到倫敦，展開半工半讀的生活，據稱在BRIT School求學期間，她已完成800多首歌曲，畢業後她更透過Neil Ferris引薦，成為知名音樂廠牌Mute Records的旗下一員。

創作質量驚人的她，很快便獲得樂壇的注意，媒體更相繼為她冠上「實力派創作人」、「天才歌手」等稱號，然而她卻謙稱自己不過是一個「唱著個人創作的說書人」。在兩位資深製作人Simon Fisher Turner與Gareth Jones的協助下，Polly Scattergood交出本張十分亮眼的處女作《Polly Scattergood》，本張同名專輯中的10首歌曲，分別呈現出截然不同的個性與趣味。專輯由〈I Hate The way〉陰沉的低吟開場，漸強的鼓擊與歌聲相互衝擊，最後甚至補上一段相當前衛迷幻的口白；〈Other Too Endless〉有著輕快的旋律與神似Jewel的唱腔；〈Please Don`t Touch〉是一首古靈精怪的可愛作品；〈Unforgiving Arms〉獨特的唸唱與飄逸的曲風相得益彰；〈Nitrogen Pink〉竟然讓人同時想起Tori Amos與Bjork；而碟末由鋼琴伴奏的〈Breathe In Breathe Out〉，則讓她顯得異常頹靡超齡。

若要說Polly Scattergood是一名歌手，不如說她是一名以多變音樂包裝個人文字的作家，那些直率大膽、晦澀陰暗的歌詞，雖然讓人不時感到膽顫心驚，卻又能不偏不倚地讓人引起共鳴，原來神經質的女生，也能擁有如此迷人可愛的魅力。