Pollens: “New Lazarus”
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“Refinement is the goal” said Jeff Aaron Bryant in an interview with Seattle weekly The Stranger. The band he co-founded with friend and fellow art schooler Hanna Benn, Pollens, is a study in refinement. But it’s a subtle sort. The six-piece blends Eastern and African melodies and sophisticated harmonies with delicate indie rock. The sound is organic, but deceptively complex.
Bryant met Benn in 2008 when the two were students at Seattle’s Cornish College of Arts. The pair worked on a two-person music project together, but realized they needed to beef up the sound. They recruited some fellow music majors at Cornish and Pollens became a sextet. They released their self-titled, debut EP in spring 2011, and on November 6 Pollens’ debut full-length Brighten & Break hits the streets.
One of the songs from Brighten & Break, “New Lazarus,” is today’s song of the day. It’s one of the more straight-forward indie numbers on the record, but the band’s intricate sound is still on full display. The bright, jerky main guitar line is reminiscent of afro-pop, and the vocal harmonies are lush, the rhythms bouncy and complex. There’s a lot going on, but Pollens make it sound effortless.
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