Upon my first listen, I anticipated from the introduction of “Polar Pop” that the song would resemble more of a simple lo-fi beat reminiscent of background music one might use for studying. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. “Polar Pop” by the Phoenix-based band Herbert Walker seems to perfectly reflect what its title implies.
But the term “polar” is not necessarily used to describe the sound of the song. Rather, it more so has to do with the song’s content and lyricism.
“This is not a hangover // Just the rattle
Of our heads colliding // The sun’s up, I’m driving”
The nature of this relationship outlined in this song is seemingly contradictory. When you think of two people coming together, it typically doesn’t immediately insinuate a negative connotation. “Polar Pop,” however, includes the imagery of heads colliding, which is a much more physically and emotionally painful metaphor. It doesn’t exactly coincide with the idea of polarization, but it’s interesting to include anyway. The relationship outlined in this song seems to resist the concept of polarization. Despite this being rendered basically impossible in the scientific field (though you may correct me if I’m wrong, as I am neither a science student nor expert), humans are more complicated and unpredictable than that.
“Death to illness, // Comparison and contrast
Our lines are parallel // Somewhere they connect, connect to”
The thing I like about this song’s lyrics is their compelling imagery. They’re interestingly complex. I’m envisioning two lines, designed in its nature to never touch, yet somehow they end up crossing paths. We’ve all heard the term, “polar opposites,” before. But what are we to do if these polar opposites resist all odds and intersect? Not only is this song defiant in its subject matter, but it outlines such a conflict in a way that we don’t necessarily consider on a regular basis.
I was intrigued by this song’s background instrumentals as well as its lyricism. Lead vocalist Francis Kelly’s voice seems to blend in quite well with the music, and I felt like this really allowed for the instrumentals to shine through and grab the attention of the listener. The music itself was actually the thing that stuck out to me most when I was listening to this song for the first time. While I was able to focus on his voice and the instrumentals independently, they complemented each other quite well. The light horns in the background playing alongside the vocals during the chorus was quite the pleasant surprise.
It’s been a few years since we’ve last heard from Herbert Walker, and I felt as if this was quite an enjoyable comeback. I’m personally looking forward to more thought-provoking lyrics and fun, upbeat tracks in the future to come.
