Polymath - Polymath EP
[Amok Recordings]

Polymath, a four-piece from Nottingham, are a self-styled ‘open-source’ collective. Their experimental tendencies see them encourage influence in their creative direction from outside resources – namely you. Radiohead’s recent ‘social’ experiment pales into insignificance given the magnitude and scale of Polymath’s efforts. Fans are invited to have their say in everything from video and artwork to actual song content and direction. Of course, this all comes with a certain degree of risk given the ad-hoc nature of such a policy, with songs in jeopardy of being fragmented and lacking structure.

Polymath, though, manage to astutely commandeer these influences, drawing them together into a cohesive and often pleasing whole. Imagine a band that mixes the eclecticism of prog-rock with the whimsical nature of a Cirque Du Soleil show and you are getting an idea of Polymath’s style. Cello collides with climactic guitar and soaring melodies throughout the four numbers involved on this Ep, it seems Polymath aren’t short of instrumental skill.

There is also commercial appeal to these tracks too, these songs are not just experimental for mere pleasure, there’s plenty of purpose as well as market viability. The shamanic “Sonrisa” is testament to this, as Eastern flavored cello gives way to a Mike Patton inspired spoken word segment. Frontman Tom Walsh later gets a chance to show off his considerable vocal prowess giving Polymath’s music a theatrical sheen, like a young Pete Hamill. Elsewhere, the concerto/piano vocal opening of “Devilette” reminds of Muse before it explodes into an ambitious cacophony of sound, where see-sawing orchestration mingles with dynamic percussion, dramatic guitar and Walsh’s falsetto.

It’s difficult to pinpoint Polymath’s sound given the diverse nature of styles they incorporate, smidgens of bands like Nine Inch Nails, Alice in Chains and even The Sensational Alex Harvey Band can be heard throughout. One thing that is for sure, it will leave you with an almost unquenchable thirst for more.

(Download the Polymath EP for free here)

Track Listing:

1. Hyper-Real
2. Sonrisa
3. Devilette
4. Hyper-Real (Radio Performance)