Write Hook Records (label)
11 December 2018 (released)
12 December 2018
Polly Panic (Jenette Mackie) has just created her deeply personal third solo album 'Losing Form' released on CD and digitally via Write Hook Records. This is her first album in six years following 'Fragment' (2012) and 'Painkiller' (2006) She is also part of the popular band Rasputina, but in this instance she strikes out on her own in dynamic style. 'Losing Form' is an album which details such varied themes as childbirth, sobriety lust and obsession. Polly wrote and recorded the 10 songs on the album and this solo outlook contributes to the personal nature of the music.
The character of Polly Panic is a cello fragmenting punk rock artist whose new album turns femininity on it's head. If the shape of the cello is the embodiment of the female form, Polly tears out the inner strength in both the woman and and the cello in this raw heart rendering album. Her presentation sound and lyrics are at once soft and steel as she shares her life story with us. A background in classical training gives way to a desire to break all the rules on this order shattering album. Polly cites PJ Harvey, and Tori Amos as influences as well as the 90's grunge movement and this inspiration can be heard in deeply personal tracks such as 'Losing Form' a dark and theatrical song which details the dehumanizing nature of addiction. Using the cello as a second voice to her own wrenching vocals, Polly takes us on the journey of the dark soul, with theatrical chamber rock and sound distortion, which draws us into Polly's alcohol fueled loneliness. Other highlights of the album include 'Annie' a song about folk hero and sharpshooter Annie Oakly, This track has has a jaunty feminist cello strum with punk vocals, while 'Side Piece' is an angry account of how it feels to be 'the other woman' this is an album of demons slayed, of creativity rebuilt of 'Polly Panic rebuilt.
'Losing form' is perfect for lovers of alternative rock who don't want emotions sugar coated but would rather be taken on a dark rock journey that reinvents what it means to be a female rock artist. Unflinching lyrics merged with attitude and cello with bite. The dark side has never sounded so good.
