Polaroid Fame are not hard to explain. Think 1980s “modern” rock, from English Beat to The Cure to The Police, with clean, modern production. Or think Duran Duran without the wailing. Or, if you’re into esoteric Australian postpunk, think The Frankie Band–because Frankie Kimpton is the frontman of this Byron Bay band. They’ve won some awards and stuff, but how important is that, really? The real question is, can they do something interesting while being retro? Do they have their own sound, or just crib from established masters? The answers to those questions are, happily, yes and yes. I had a little bit of trouble getting into this band, because I’m a big Colin Hay fan and he pretty much does this same thing. But as I listened, track by track, the album really grew on me. The synth work is almost subtle, which is a rare find, the vocals are solid and the percussion and bass . . . Truly awesome. And anyone who knows the ’80s knows that without a good beat, the songs were crap. I bet these guys are a lot of fun live. So, if you’re reading this from Down Under, go check ’em out.
