Hopelessness, Desperation and Anticipation. How Polemica’s NEW album ‘…and now…’ Takes Listeners On A Whirlwind Of Emotions

Polemica are an international four-piece think rock band based in Italy.

Their 2018 album ‘Breach’ saw the band establish themselves as a band that assaults social injustices, provoking critical thinking and questions.

Hilary Binder uses intellect and pours her heart into her craft, with heart-wrenching and politicised lyricism and this is no exception with the release of the new album ‘…and now…’, a quirky and exceptional release that is a must-listen. 

The opening track ‘Paranoia’ bursts into life in electrifying modern punk. The track uses repetition alongside tenacious instrumental arrangements that consistently build up in tempo and Hilary's performance intensifies, repeating the lyrics “Paranoia is a motivator's dream”. The result? An increase of a wave of emotion conveys the obsession and monomania that the track explores. 

‘the vote’ is the second track on the album that takes a different stylistic route. Simple in structure, ‘the vote’ consists of a funky bassline at the forefront making way for solacious grooves that majorly contrast with the heavy political themes.  ‘bad habit’ is made up of elements of heavy rock such as distorted guitar arrangements. However, Polemica uses an odd electronic sound to create a confused yet epic sound. 

‘roe v wade’ explores the topic of laws on women’s bodies, addressing the overturning of Roe V Wade. This complex topic is explored through spoken performance and incendiary lyricism. Hilary uses repetition of the lyric “Hey, don’t touch that! It’s not yours” in a matter-of-fact way, as though telling off a young child. 

‘good riddance’ and ‘isolation’ add a slight break in the album, taking a step back from the high energy thus far in the album. Though differing in style, they are drum heavy and slow in tempo and use long, drawn-out guitars to showcase Polemica’s musicianship. 

‘tranny me’ is a transparent and brutally honest track that focuses on a lobe piano and Hilary’s soft vocals. It is simple in structure and filled with emotion that perfectly highlights an inner struggle and self-reflection in the most captivating way. 

‘…and now…’ is the brilliant third album from Polemica and is the perfect musical reflection of both hope and despair. What Polemica does so well is combining pulsing grooves with sonic reflections and strength of presence to capture audiences' attention and help them tune out incessant social noise and provoke indecent thought. 

Ana Joy King

@anajoyking

Image:  ’…and now…’ Official Album Cover