Greenskeepers, The - Polo Club (Album)
The Greenskeepers are, first and foremost, experimental electronica artists. That tag is generally asociated with sprawling soundscapes of futuristic beats, but the Greenskeepers experiment with synthetic sound in different ways. Mostly, and especially in the case of Polo Club, this involves genre-bending, kooky combinations of electronic beats, funky basslines, sharp electric guitars and lazy, conversational lyrics that, after "Lotion", always feel kinda creepy to me. With Polo Club, the intention was to create an album that captures the energy of their live shows, but with "More guitars!" The result of this electronic act trying to be more like a band is basically a new-wave sound, complete with handclaps, Go! Team style shouting and calls to party. This is about the best label i can give to an album that covers so much territory - elements of disco, 80's melancholy pop, house, party rock and the humour of They Might Be Giants come together to create a wierd, original album that makes you wanna dance. The album is "set" in an upper-class polo club that the Greenskeepers seem to have crashed, and with their cheeky humour and convention-breaking they are spiking the punch and tipping over tables while the members turn up their noses.
The tracks have been gaining popularity in trendy clubs around the world, both in their original forms and the remixed versions found on disc 2. With 34 tracks this CD is value for money, though I've only felt inclined to listen to the second disc once. It features house remixes of tracks from Polo Club and other songs, most done by The Greenskeepers. However impressive it is that these people are skilled in songwriting AND being DJ's, I find it somewhat redundant because remixing these tracks involves taking away much of the quirky moments from the original tracks to make them more club-friendly but also less interesting. As far as dance music goes, though, it has a very laid back vibe and old school funky feel that has all but been replaced with sleaze and pop in many clubs today.
The main negative aspect of Polo Club is that there is possibly too much variety. Just when you're really getting into something, the song changes and a whole new feel emerges. None of it is bad, but a bit more consistency would work more for me. Fans of 'Lotion' - their last single that references Silence of the Lambs and was a massive cult success online - who loved its strangeness and minimalism will not be disappointed, and neither will partygoers or rockers. Their musical integrity and talent is disguised with conventional song structures and that familiar party spirit, but there is much to be said for The Greenskeepers and their original style of partying. I dig it.
