Review: Pure in the Plastic by Polyenso

Review by Karina Abbott
Rating: 8/10

When I was considering colleges, the summer before my senior year, I toured three or four in my home state of Florida, before realizing ISU was the only place I wanted to be. One campus in particular stood out to me, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, it was this cool little niche of people, and if I had wanted to stay in Florida, that is where I would’ve ended up. The reason it was my favorite, was because of the town it sits in, St. Petersburg is one of the coolest places, and the highlight for me was definitely the Salvador Dali Museum, that is, until I reviewed this album. Polyenso are three guys from St. Petersburg, Florida, and they are by far the coolest thing about the town. A talented trio, Brennan Taulbee, Denny Agosto, and Alexander Schultz have reached a new level of musical mastery. Their music is a combination of electronic, indie-pop, and folk, with elements of jazz that are just the cherry on top of this beautiful album “Pure in the Plastic”. Their attention to detail is astounding, and they have left not one second of these ten tracks bare; every moment adds to the songs’ substance and emotional impact. The first thing that stuck out to me in this album was the intros and outros for the songs; each intro is deliberate and delicate, introducing the track flawlessly. Each outro is gradual, and makes you hang on just that little bit longer as the melody lingers, it’s a feature that separates this album from any I’ve heard before. Another detail that grabbed my attention, was the jazzy elements to some of the songs, such as “Not My Real Life”; it’s just that extra layer that awakens some of the more ambient pieces. The music would be enough, but Polyenso also adds in beautiful lyrics that are reminiscent of the most honest and impactful poetry. This album could be listened to while doing almost anything, maybe not Zumba. My favorite songs were “I.W.W.I.T.I.W.”, “Not My Real Life”, and “17 New Years”. Truly, this album struck a chord, or two or three, with me, and I recommend it to anyone, even the most callous of person would like “Pure in the Plastic”. Tips for listening: wear headphones, bring your inspiration board, bring your dancing shoes/socks, listen with friend(s) or alone, be ready to have your emotions affected, maybe bring tissues (depends on how terrible of a day you’ve had), and if you like tea, have a cup (preferably in a Hedwig mug), Enjoy!