EP: Polar Youth – Lost and Found

Rating:

Electro-pop artist Polar Youth releases her latest EP Lost + Found. A collection of 6 tracks sometimes dwindling but often wonderful in their nature, it shines a new light upon conventional, wide-spread pop-tones.

Leading the EP is track Space which undeniably showcases the EP’s electronic sound, with the distorted vocal delivery providing the EP with somewhat of a jarring, futuristic feel to the EP. The track makes excellent usage of a typical modern pop drum loop in-order to build to the technologically driven chorus of the track, which undeniably places the idea of the electronic sound at the heart of the track and as the main driving force within the EP as an entirety.

Following on are tracks Drifter and Faded, each showcasing a more vocally driven take upon the genre. The Drifter places these aforementioned electronic sounds and uses them as a device in-order to drive the vocal delivery, the rap-orientated interlude featured only serves to further not, only the focus upon vocals, but also the EP’s understated, radio-friendly sound. Often sounding malleable to mainstream pop conventions. Faded changes the EP’s sound, featuring a focus upon a male vocalist which provides a more diverse sound within the EP. However, the track optimises the arguably meandering nature of the EP, perhaps being slightly bland in places.

However, the high-point of the EP comes within closing track Call Out. Further demonstrating the more slow-paced beats established throughout the course of the EP, most notably within previous track Stay. It wonderfully highlights the strengths of not only the EP, but the artist as a whole. It creates something of a dreamy, electronic sound, creating a hazy listening experience that highlights the wonderfully strength that electronic music can hold. It switches between male and female vocalists which adds an unmistakable depth to the track.

Polar Youth’s Lost + Found showcases the strengths that modern, mainstream electro-pop can hold. It shows flashes of brilliance, in-particular within the softer, more melodic stretches of the EP, where vocal tenderness takes center-stage. However, the somewhat self-indulgence in archetypical “pop-tone” lets the EP down within certain areas. This is not to say the EP is not a wonderful modern summer soundtrack.