Formless/Functional
Formless/Functional is a 1998 album by Minneapolis alternative rock band Polara, their third full-length album and their last for Interscope Records.
| Formless/Functional | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 24, 1998 | |||
| Studio | Flowers Studio | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, indie rock | |||
| Label | Interscope Records | |||
| Producer | Ed Ackerson | |||
| Polara chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Trouser Press | (positive) [2] |
| babysue | [3] |
Despite a generally warm reception by critics, the album received little support from its record label. Corporate mergers involving Interscope soon led the label to drop many bands, including Polara.[4]
Reception
Trouser Press writer Ira Robbins described the album as "frisky electro-dance" that moved Polara's sound "into the rhythmatic post-guitar realm of synthesizers, loops and samples," and noted that Jurgens' contributions to the band were especially prominent. Although he felt that "the album goes on a bit too long," Robbins called it "stylish and sophisticated" and said that songwriter and producer Ed Ackerson's "creativity is no less colorful or effective in this realm."[2] Jason Anderson of Allmusic wrote that Ackerson's "ability to completely ignore stylistic boundaries is admirable," but felt that the album did not have a cohesive theme and "sounds thrown together and random."[1] A reviewer for the online magazine babysue praised the album's mix of introspective pop and electronic production, calling it "completely cool" and "absolutely beautiful."[3]
Personnel
- Ed Ackerson: Vocals, guitar, bass, organ, piano, synthesizer, samples, sequences, programming
- Jennifer Jurgens: Vocals, guitar, organs, synthesizer
- Peter Anderson: Drums, percussion
- Engineered by Ed Ackerson (Flowers Studio) and Jason Orris (Terrarium Studio)
- Mastered by Stephen Marcussen
- Design by Ron Clark[5]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Ed Ackerson
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Whassup?" | 3:54 |
| 2. | "A Brighter Day" | 3:55 |
| 3. | "Trainwreck" | 4:25 |
| 4. | "Got The Switch!" | 3:03 |
| 5. | "Halo" | 2:54 |
| 6. | "Peaking Charlie" | 2:21 |
| 7. | "I Can Believe" | 1:44 |
| 8. | "Semi-Detached" | 3:55 |
| 9. | "Verging" | 1:45 |
| 10. | "Midtown Greenway" | 3:10 |
| 11. | "Tread Lightly" | 3:53 |
| 12. | "Corporate Hegemony (Smash The State!)" | 3:37 |
References
- Anderson, Jason. ""Polara: Formless/Functional Review"". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- Robbins, Ira. "27 Various, Polara, Sideways, Ed Ackerson". Trouser Press. Trouser Press LLC. Retrieved 2019-10-14.
- "Reviews From the Original LMNOP: Polara, Formless/Functional". babysue. babysue. May 1998. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- Ankeny, Jason. "Polara: Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
- "Polara: Formless/Functional". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2019-10-19.