Polyester Heart

Quick & Dirty:
Polyester Heart - by Larissa Primeau -

Polyester Heart is about as barebones as it gets. The band consists of just two dudes: Marshall Bureau on drums/percussion and Dave Marcotte on guitar/vocals. The concept of putting together such a minimalist band was kind of unintentional.

Dave Marcotte explains, "Marshall and I were playing in another band (Interrupted by Rhinos), up until about a year ago and I thought about getting back to focusing on the solo/acoustic stuff I had been doing previously to that. I had a rough idea of what I wanted. I started writing more and when the concept started evolving I talked to Marshall and asked if he wanted to play on a couple of these and he said 'Sure.' So I went to his place a couple of times and we just rehearsed a couple of these songs. I kind of intended at first that maybe he would sort of just help out and all of the sudden the sound of it emerged and it was like right there! So then we realized that we were going to do this-like this. I mean like a duo with just acoustic guitar and drums."

This was a smart decision, as Polyester Heart is the kind of music that just doesn't require anything else. Both talented, long-time musicians, Marshall and Dave have created something beautiful and complex by simply bringing it down to the basics. In a world of over-produced, Mac-generated music, this approach is both refreshing and appealing. While not at all boring, it's the kind of music you can play for your Grandma and your Avril-loving, 13-year-old niece; it's just easily, comfortably appealing. Marcotte explains how and why he downsized.

"The reason I wanted to do the stripped back thing was because it was what I felt most comfortable doing and what I got the most response to. At first we thought we should get a bass player, add some keys but that first afternoon we got together, we realized that we didn't need that stuff. We adopted this whole 'less is more' mantra and went from there." It's interesting to see how good music comes about but it's even better to see the results. In this case, the result is a delicious taste of quality music that requires no more seasoning. - SoundProof

Polyester Heart is the moniker of Toronto duo Marshall Bureau and Dave Marcotte. Recently they released their debut album and The iM wants you to know about it. Why you ask? Well, we really like what we hear.
- The Indie Machine

Polyster Heart are the duo of Dave Marcotte and Marshall Bureau. The two Ottawa natives who now call Toronto home (don't they all eventually), have just released their self-titled debut full length.

The pair can draw a lot of comparisons with their sound. Vocally Marcotte alternates between the disinterested delivery of Stephen Malkmus and a Noah Mintz-esque snarl. That fits incredibly well with the clever, quirky, yet personal lyrics.

Polyester Heart have a simple arrangement that features an electric guitar and drumming. That leaves a lot of room for the music to bounce around, giving certain songs a Sonic Youth (think Experimental, Jet Set, Trash, and No Star) character.
- T.O. Snobs Music

As a duo, Dave Marcotte (vocals, guitar, pedals) and Marshal Bureau (drums) don’t have the widest range of instruments at their disposal, but they manage to craft beautiful songs with just electric guitars, drums, and the honesty in Marcotte’s lyrics.

The honest lyrics are apparent in almost every song on this ten-song collection. Marcotte sings, one could almost say, with detachment. He almost sounds like a man defeated as he sings songs like “The Worst of Me” where he says “I’m calling from some bar somewhere on Queen Street East/I said I’d been drinking, do you still want to meet?/You said that’s fine you already/Knew you’d get the worst of me.”

Marcotte also makes subjects that might normally sound mundane sound magical. In “Winnebago” (guess what it’s about?) the subtle guitar and steady drums make lyrics like “We can promise anything/There’s drinks on ice in the sink” sound effortlessly poetic.

There is still passion in his lyrics, though, such as “In My Back Pocket” where Marcotte sings “Fuck yes I am serious/And yes I have sobered up/There’s no way we could get caught/You know I hate when you cry/And I can’t do anything right.” The song is like a movie moment where a lover suggests that the two of them run off together into the sunset and never look back.

The band’s melodic side shows off in “Inching Closer to Dawn” and “Ribbons,” both purely instrumental tracks. Marcotte and Bureau show that the two of them can pull of a sound that could easily by made by a band twice as large. There are many layers of subtlety in the guitars worth listening for.

The duo has already been on the music scene for a few years, so this debut is unsurprisingly a very polished and wonderful debut. Polyester Heart produces an alt-pop sound to be envied.

Rating: Hunting Call (Excellent) +*swoop* - Grayowl Point