Review Summary: The Sick Puppies’ third release “Tri-Polar” doesn’t show that they have progressed at all in musical ability, but rather progression in conformity.
Sick Puppies “Tri-Polar”
It has been a long two years of touring and trying to get their name out there for the Australian alternative metal/post-grunge trio outlandishly dubbed Sick Puppies. “Tri-Polar” is an on the road record, and it shows.
Sick Puppies’ stay in America has been going on for a good five years and in a step of progression from “Dressed Up As Life”, their sound has been fully engulfed by American lifestyles and popular music. From the beginning fight club, anthem-like “War” to the end “White Balloons”, a whimsical yet uplifting conclusion, mainstream radio has overwhelmed the band’s song structure, lyrics and overall song. This comes as a disappointment because while Sick Puppies core genre has always been modern rock radio friendly, small but noticeable idiosyncrasies in their songwriting, guitar work and rhythm section were a welcome change from the bland distorted guitar riffs and four chord chorus sections that flooded most band’s sound.
Gone are the dark yet intriguing lyrical themes of “Dressed Up As Life”, replacing them with fight music (“You’re Going Down” & “War”), drunk relationships (“Should’ve Known Better”), and inappropriate reasons for hating women (“I Hate You”). The remaining of the album’s tracks are filled with a sense of hopefulness and uplifting themes. It is as if Shim, Emma and Mark got rid of all their angst on the road and are looking upon life with a new found hope and happiness. “Odd One” for example has a chorus line that proceeds with the refrain (Hey, it’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna laugh at this one day.) It definitely is another retracting factor from their gloomy yet captivating guise that made them so attractive in the first place. While they aren’t horrible songs, they pull off inspirational very well; it just doesn’t seem like their place.
Musically the album is sub-par, the Puppies definitely went all out on melodies this time around. Choosing to ditch memorial riffs and bass lines in favor of finding just the right combination of chords for a chorus refrain to get stuck in your head for days. While “Should’ve Known Better” features a wicked wah-pedal driven guitar solo and “Master of the Universe” allows Emma to show off her bass chops, it is next to nothing compared to what they are capable of. In return, Shim and Emma’s harmonies are fine tuned to perfection. On the final track Emma takes over some lead vocal duties and her voice almost seems indistinguishable from Shim’s at times; very hard to find.
The Sick Puppies’ third release “Tri-Polar” doesn’t show that they have progressed at all in musical ability, but rather progression in conformity. This act of conforming happens to hundreds of bands and it isn’t any different with the Puppies, it is sad and hard to listen to. “Tri-Polar” shall stay in rotation in my car’s CD-player for a few more times for the simple fact that they still know how to make catchy and authentically heavy songs, but it will never have the sinister-like appeal and impact of “Dressed Up As Life”.
Recommended Tracks:
• I Hate You
• So What I Lied
• Should’ve Known Better
• Master of the Universe
