p r e s s
Praise for "You and I were made of dynamite..."
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"If sleepy, melancholic pop songs were Canada's new currency, then the Ottawa-based Polytones would be rolling in dough...bare-bones, honest music...[and a] sweet, sincere voice [that] makes the music so endearing. The Polytones seem to have struck a perfect balance for tunes that are both catchy and emotional."
Evan Davies, NOW Magazine (Toronto)
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"If writing undyingly catchy, straightforward pop ditties is what the The Polytones strive for, then success is theirs...This long-awaited debut record of sharply arranged pop-rock tunes is a display of the best of the band's musical wares...irresistably head-bopping, upbeat numbers (and) wistful, folk-tinged gems."
Jennifer Tattersall, Ottawa XPress
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"..A gem...they sound like music should. Gorgeous vocals are supplied by
Lesia Manchulenko as she sings powerfully and elegantly on this emotional
ride. This CD blows most other local releases out of the water. You won't
regret picking it up."
Michael Vickers, The Fulcrum (University of Ottawa)
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"The Polytones live up to their name with a nicely varied palette of
sounds...Reverbed and distorted guitar mix in some grit without straying
from pop melodies...bittersweet vocals tremble and swoop
in the same ballpark as Jane Siberry or a more forceful Nina
Nastasia...drums and bass provide nuanced rhthyms...Strong songs put a sprightly turn on problems of the heart and unrequited longing ... You and I were made of dynamite is a consistently fine album."
Andrew Carver, Ottawa Sun
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"Dream-pop in the tradition of Cocteau Twins...A really solid group...their live show has great energy."
Matthew Crosier, CBC-Radio
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"...If you're curled up by the fireplace on a cold winter night, this
record is the one to play."
Kathryn Dougherty, The Charlatan (Carleton
University)
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"[Grade: 'A'] Lead vocalist Lesia Manchulenko takes you on a tranquil tour with her enchanting voice as you follow her storybook version of a relationship...[The Polytones have] made it pristinely clear that they intend on sticking around for a bit and making their presence known within Canada."
Joe Zabukovec, The Newspaper (University of Toronto)
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"Lesia Manchulenko's voice is what makes The Polytones - and this album - stand out. You and I Were Made of Dynamite is full of potential pop hits...an excellent indie album which will probably build and carry The Polytones career...definitely worth picking up."
Matt Harwick, Partyinkingston.com
some other praise for the polytones...
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"Ottawa's premier pop band came together as a marrying of some of the city's top names of the indie scene from years gone by. Brenda Bedford (drums), Lesia Manchulenko (vocals), George Jennings (bass) and Ben Wilson (guitar) have fused into today's The Polytones, whose hummable, charming ditties are like The Sundays without the melancholy and Belly with less vocal drama, but equally passionate and poignant."
Fateema Sayani, Ottawa Xpress
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"The Polytones have grown stylistically without ever losing the focus of what makes a good pop song. Their guitar sound is fluid and shimmering, while the arrangements and lyrics are simple and uncluttered, conveying emotions and ideas as powerfully as the best proponents of the tradition, from The Beatles on down through more recent bands like the USA’s Belly."
Stephen Flood,
Ottawa Xpress + Shake the Record Company
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The album, like their live performance has/had me hooked for one main reason, Lesia Manchulenko’s voice. While its difficult to describe someone’s voice, what I like about it is that it’s different from most of the female voices currently heard on radio. The vocals are clear, crisp and very strong... The words tell a story about more then just puppy-love and trivial problems.
The more I listen to the album the more I like it, and the more I’m hoping to hear more from this band.
Trista Groulx,
Sonic Ottawa
