Cologne’s motorik duo Urlaub in Polen has been active on and off since 1999 and this latest album, Objects, Beings And Parrots is the first since 2020’s All.
Theirs appears to be a simple yet effective sound that gives the impression of there being more people involved; but as the album progresses, so more facets are revealed, the incessant rhythms coated with twangy guitar, subterranean bass and synth embellishments adding fuel before the inevitable explosion into the stratosphere.
The vocals when they arrive are simplistic mantras, sneered coolness delivering two words in some cases and paeans to inanimate objects in others; the paradox of the titular apparatus is deliberated on “Washing Machine” while guitar slashes across the irresistible pairing of bass and drums. The rhythms are insistent but varied, with bongos adding some unexpected depth to the modernist prism of “Face Of Reason”, with its coastal sunset sway enlivened by palm tree guitar and the cool sand dune bass. The tracks often have two gears, with a slow build leading to a sudden rush of take off; drums jump in nice and loud and the bass kicks down a gear. There is the odd reflection of the past, with shrieks of King Crimson-like guitar blasting through “Fame And Fortune” and the bassline of “Opposite Day” coming on like a reimagining of The Cure‘s “A Forest”; but these are just flickers. Everywhere else, originality resounds as the familiar ingredients are reshuffled and redealt as a pointillist kaleidoscope or a beatless palate cleanser.The slow acoustic lullaby lament of “Jaki’s Love Time” follows on perfectly from the minimalist drift of the title track and the sinuous danceable groove of “Moonwalk”, with its lovely cymbal swish and phased electronic drums embraces the future. Its “We’re moving faster than illusion” line is particularly apt. I was reminded here and there of fellow cosmonauts Carlton Melton, mainly in the breadth of their expansion and also in the odd sense of compression that intensifies the delivery.
An unexpected treat from start to finish, Objects, Beings And Parrots ticks a lot of boxes ploughing its own deliberate incessant furrow with a true sense of adventure.-Mr Olivetti-
