A return letter
Anyone who went to Camp A Low Hum will be keen to check out Love Letter to New Zealand, the first release from American folkies Polka Dot Dot Dot. The band formed when they met up in New Zealand, though they’d all known each other previously. Promptly they set out about stealing hearts around the nation. And whilst it will never be quite as magical as seeing them live, Love Letter to New Zealand is a gorgeous listen.
It’s rather unlike what I usually listen to. I like angry old man music, and whilst Polka Dot Dot Dot might share the folk qualities of that genre, it’s a vastly different sound. For one thing, they can sing amazingly. It suits the sparcity of the music. One song is entirely created by the body – the hand-clapping and foot-stomping a counterpoint to the sweetness of the voice. Others incorporate birdsong, or the clack of the typewriter, or else they sound like the sea. Track eight, Ocean, is my highlight, but there’s a lot to love here.
Love Letter to New Zealand is available to order through Bicycle Records, and works out to about NZ$20. It’s well worth it.