A great album needs a centrepiece, and Mike Polizze‘s ‘Around Sound’ has just that, a five-minute work that seems to sponge up all that we have heard so far, submerge the listener in its splendour before packing us off to experience the second half of the album. ‘Wake Up’ could not be more on point with its title if it abruptly pulled the curtains apart in the morning and plied you with coffee. It is a hazy first hit of the daybreak sun, an acoustic rising that hovers into view, gently caressing the senses before taking flight. I wonder if the title came first or whether Mike’s music evoked visions of breaking light on a bright new morn so vividly that he could barely consider any other title? Music can be so powerful when lyrical imagery and sonic visions work in tandem. However, the words sung here have a distant, grainy filter, as though they are a voice in your head or some invisible dream state narrator that you cannot quite pinpoint.
You would be forgiven for thinking that Mike Polizze has been ploughing this fertile ground for years, harvesting the fields so often walked by the likes of Steve Gunn or, even earlier, Bert Jansch. But no, this is something of a departure for the former front man of Philadelphia psych rockers Purling Hiss who also played guitar in Birds Of Maya, a proto-metal band whose distorted hardcore blend of aggressive rock was played at ear drum lacerating volume, so much so that pretty much all their recordings sound like the mixing desk was vibrating in the red from the word go. Look beyond that thunderous cacophony, however, and Mike’s mastery of the guitar is plain to witness. And sometimes, when a previously electric specialist applies the same technique to an acoustic setting, the resulting music can have an energy and fluidity quite distinct from that of other similar purveyors. Someone like the Bevis Frond can pull off this kind of gear change and retain their signature flavour, and that is what Mike has done here, although perhaps the redirection was born more out of necessity and the dictates of real life.
Mike has recently become a first-time father after moving to a small town; his world has become one of domesticity and parenting, and in that context, the impetus to look for a quieter form of musical expression is perfectly understandable. It is not his first step towards acoustics, which was back in the pandemic era with his debut solo effort ‘Long Lost Solace Find.’ But where that one bore a suggestion of a man holding time until he could plug back in, ‘Around Sound’ is the work of someone totally committed to this new form, playing with the possibilities and delighting in the explorations snatched between the moments of domestic activity. This is how the record was put together, piece by piece over time, with the assistance of co-producer and engineer Jeff Zeigler. It is surprising to these ears that Mike played everything himself; perhaps that is a testament to the production, because these tracks have the genetic weave of a band sound, the magic of spontaneity, and the organic feel has not been lost in the construction.
There is a tone that unites the whole record: a celestial, dreamy mirage of sound that shifts with the elements from bright sunshine heat to breezy clouds casting darker shadows. A track like ‘Is There Anybody Out There?’ (nothing to do with Pink Floyd, although they too flew across these pastures on things like ‘Grantchester Meadows’) boasts some fine finger picking playing, as does ‘Fast Blues’ with a raga-like momentum as it pushes for its destination, eventually kicking out with some steam train rolling drums. Other tunes steer past the style that twenty years ago was being lumped together as freak folk, but there is far more to a song like ‘You’ve Been Doing Fine’ than a mere hippy flowering. It is a deep, progressive piece that evolves into distinct sections and passages, not one that simply unfolds, but rather structured song compositions that are considered and carefully built to bring a prolonged sense of satisfaction to the entire listening experience. It feels like Mike Polizze has unlocked some doors with this album. Where he travels next may be as hard to predict as ever, but if the results are as fine as this, then we must follow him.
Around Sound (July 11th, 2025) Paradise of Bachelors
Pre-order/save the album: https://lnk.to/PoB74
Live Dates
5/10 Philadelphia, PA @ Pageant: Soloveev (as Mike Polizze/Bill Nace Duo) w/ Roger Miller (Mission of Burma) & Jacy Webster
7/12 Rockaway Beach, NY @ Connolly’s w/ Prison (Paul Major)
7/17 Baltimore, MD @ Metro Baltimore w/ Jake Xerxes Fussell
8/17 Philadelphia, NY (record release show) @ Johnny Brenda’s w/ Silver Synthetic & Lo Fives
9/6 Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool