Polyphonic Spree 'Fragile Army' album

Dallas symphonic rock group The Polyphonic Spree have signed with TVT Records for the release of their third full-length album, The Fragile Army. The new album's title was given to the group by director/filmmaker/artist Mike Mills, whose 2005 film Thumbsucker was scored by the Spree's Tim DeLaughter. The Fragile Army reveals a collection of sonic blasts filtered thru The Polyphonic Spree's trademark sound: an unorthodox blend of brass, strings, choir and auxiliary rock elements. The album explores a search for the zeal in life, by way of loss and frustration, confusion and clarity. Ultimately, the Spree discover the power of love and the collective of hope in songs such as "Running Away," "Light To Follow" and "Overblow Your Nest." The album will be in stores in June 19th, 2007.

"We have entered a new phase in our musical contribution," say Spree leaders/songwriters Tim DeLaughter and Julie Doyle. "This recording was extremely challenging for us, trying to create a piece of art while weathering the storm of our collective relationship as humans in a political climate that's choking us all. When we listen back it feels like a diary more than anything else. It's painful and beautiful all at once, kinda like life." Welcome to "The Fragile Army."

Along with the evolved sound comes an effected new look for The Polyphonic Spree. The group has folded their robes up nicely and put them away for now, becoming more "streamline for the future" in their unified military-style uniforms garnished with universal symbols for peace. "We're gearing up for the evolution," says DeLaughter.

Co-produced by John Congleton (of Dallas band The Paper Chase) and The Speekers (aka DeLaughter and Doyle), The Fragile Army was recorded at studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, and Duncanville, Texas, as well as renowned producer Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio in Chicago and the Spree's own home studio, The Triplex, in Dallas. The album was mixed by Jay Ruston and The Speekers and mastered by Dave Cooley.

DeLaughter and Doyle collaborated on the lyrics and basic songs, then worked out arrangements with the Spree's 16 instrumentalists and eight choir members in the studio -- a different approach to arranging and recording than on their previous album, 2004's Together We're Heavy. DeLaughter describes the process: "For our last record, we'd been on the road so long that songs had been developed there and were pretty much fully arranged by the time of recording," he says. "But this is a very spontaneous album. We'd been off the road for a while, and all the players collaborated on the spot in the studio, learning one song at a time and then collaborating on ideas and parts."

On the title track "The Fragile Army," DeLaughter and Doyle delve explicitly for the first time into their feelings on the war in Iraq, and its reverberations back home. "It's basically an ode-to-Bush song," DeLaughter says. "It's very specific in its agenda, I believe it's our own battle cry."

The Fragile Army is The Polyphonic Spree's first release via TVT Records. "TVT has always been about singular artists," said TVT Records Senior Vice President Paul Burgess. "You'd be hard pressed to find a more singular act than the Spree. We are pleased and proud to hook up with this tremendous band and hope to help build them a bigger audience. The Fragile Army is a brilliant and accomplished album that will rank up their with this year's best."

Biography
What do you do when you feel like you're surrounded by darkness and demons? Some pull up the covers and hide, but not The Polyphonic Spree. Their exciting new album, The Fragile Army, is an exuberant and passionate explosion that finds the Dallas-based symphonic rock group joyfully raging against the dying of the light with newfound zeal. "We were going in a high-energy direction, because that's the way we are in our live show," declares co-leader/songwriter Tim DeLaughter. "I think that this album is the one that best captures the Spree live experience." The band's other leader/songwriter, Julie Doyle, is equally excited about their third LP. "We really hit the nail on the head this time; this is the Spree at its finest."

"We wanted to capture a whole lotta light and a whole lotta dark on the same page," Doyle declares, and she couldn't have summed up these dozen songs better. The new tunes incorporate the trademark Spree sound - an extraordinary fusion of strings, brass, epic rock and, of course, the choir - while thematically exploring life, love, loss and the modern experience. "Running Away" is an instant classic, a soaring, jubilant declaration that pushes the choir to new heights, while "Mental Cabaret" is a jaunty bit of lunacy. The title track is like Ziggy Stardust hanging out with the Flaming Lips, a slow-building protest anthem that serves as a centerpiece and thematic maypole for the album to circle around.

The album title was conceived by director Mike Mills, while DeLaughter was in Berlin scoring Mills' highly regarded indie flick Thumbsucker. "He described us as the Fragile Army and it just fit perfectly," DeLaughter remembers. "It completely describes something we'd never really thought about," Doyle chimes in. "But it put the finger on the spot. That's what we are." In turn, the album's title track became a rallying point. "That's our battle cry," declares DeLaughter. The Fragile Army is like the blade of grass that persistently struggles and finds its way to the crack in layers of asphalt to survive and grow.

To go along with their new moniker, a new look was in order. Says DeLaughter, "We're wearing black military uniforms that have universal symbols of peace on them. One's a heart, one's a red cross, one's an image that radiates unity and finally there's a gold pin that has our name on it (and if its lost it'll cost you fifty bucks."

The follow-up to 2004's critically acclaimed Together We're Heavy, The Fragile Army finds The Polyphonic Spree on a creative high. The record was written by DeLaughter and Doyle at their home in Dallas. The rough songs were then taken to the studio, where the Spree's 16 instrumentalists and eight choir members were asked to react to music and work on arrangements with DeLaughter. Doyle remembers, "It was weird, because it seemed like they had heard the songs before because it came so easy to them, but then again that's part of the magic of The Polyphonic Spree... intuition"

The whole project was a real team effort, with everyone working long hours for little or no money to craft the album. The Fragile Army was co-produced by the Speekers (aka DeLaughter and Doyle) and John Congleton of the Dallas band the Paper Chase. "We've been fans of his for a long time," declares DeLaughter. "We were attracted to his spirit, which comes across in his live performances." Mixed by Jay Ruston (Morrissey, The Donnas) and the Speekers and mastered by Dave Cooley (Silversun Pickups, Z-Trip), The Fragile Army was recorded in studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, and Duncanville, Texas, as well as Steve Albini's Electrical Studio in Chicago and the Spree's own home studio in Dallas, The Triplex. DeLaughter even recruited David Bowie's legendary pianist Mike Garson after they toured together in 2004. "He was a fan of the band and kept in touch after the tour," states Doyle. "He had some time off and was obliged to participate with a couple days notice in order to become a part of the creative spirit on this album."

For DeLaughter and Doyle it was a chance to deepen their creative relationship. Doyle feels like the group has been their outlet to follow their bliss on their own terms. "We're not a part of any scene," she asserts. "To be a part of The Polyphonic Spree is the coolest thing, because there's so many of us that we're our own scene."

DeLaughter formed The Polyphonic Spree in 2000 in the wake the demise of his former band, Tripping Daisy, after guitarist (and close friend) Wes Berggren died of a drug overdose. It was a combination of trying to find a light in the darkness that followed, and childhood memories of psychedelic vocal groups like The Fifth Dimension, that formed the genesis of the Spree. DeLaughter and Doyle, along with Tripping Daisy bandmates Mark Pirro and Bryan Wakeland, built an early lineup of the band and recorded a 10-song demo in two days. Demand from fans at early performances around Dallas led them to release the demo as their debut album, "The Beginning Stages Of... The Polyphonic Spree," in 2001. From there, it was a whirlwind trip to international acclaim, tours of the World and a unique place in the popular consciousness.

For over half a decade now, The Polyphonic Spree have been cutting a singular swath through the pop culture landscape, spreading a positive energy that makes people scratch their heads and ask questions while presenting music that’s colorful to the ears. The robes may be gone for now, but a purposeful and exhilirating experience is here to stay. Get ready to enlist in The Fragile Army.

Do you also would like to share your opinion? If so, please register or login here.

Details

Popular Songs

New Songs

Tracklisting

Polyphonic Spree - Fragile Army