Polarity/1: A Voice for Today's America
A Review of Music from the Documentary 'In Debt We Trust'
By Liz Singer
American artists have always felt free to speak their minds, even when
their opinions touch on controversial topics. During the Vietnam War,
the politically-conscious Edwin Starr sung out, "War, what is it good
for?" to protest America's place in the bloody battle. And leading up
an entire album devoted to the dissatisfaction with George W. Bush's
presidency, and subsequently, the ever-changing America. Today,
Polarity/1 is no exception.
Polarity/1, a multi-instrumentalist/arranger/composer/producer, was
one of the early voices warning of the impending debt crisis, having
composed most of the score and served as Music Supervisor for Danny
Schechter's feature-length documentary 'In Debt We Trust'. Focused on
America's dangerous addiction to debt and the predatory nature of our
credit and loan industry, the film predicted over two years ago the
economic meltdown being experienced today.
Proudly speaking his mind through his music, Polarity/1 uses freedom
of speech to express his opinions on America with five songs featured
in the documentary. The music -- "Free Money," "Charge It," "Winter In
America (Chills To The Bone)," "I'm So Broke," and "Free Money Blues"
-- touches on topics ranging from poverty, to homelessness, to drug
abuse, all the while allowing his bold statements to shine through the
various sounds of each track.
In traditional twangy blues style, complete with a woeful chorus of
melancholy men, "Free Money Blues" tells the financial burdens of the
average American. Listing off dream items like flat screen TVs and new
video games, the track reveals the pain of Americans, stuck in an
economy where the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting
poorer. In Polarity/1's strained voice, listeners can feel the
frustration at life in America, where money is abundant, but among all
people, somehow the dollars don't add up right.
On the rock track "I'm So Broke," Polarity/1 continues to wail about
finances, forcing every listener to understand how it feels to have
nothing in such a wealthy country. Commenting on the homelessness
problem, he says: "What's left in my pocket goes to keep me off the
docket." Screaming "I'm so broke" over and over, listeners are left to
think about the current state of America, as they must try to find
solutions that will balance out the distribution of wealth in the
country.
Taking a turn to rap, "Winter in America" also deals with the issue of
homelessness, though this time taking a more drastic approach as it
describes the brutally cold weather that they must endure. Once again
proving the seriousness of the situation, Polarity/1 introduces the
problem of drug addiction facing poor young people, suggesting that
right, but before you know, they'll be suckin' on a crack pipe."
Through all five tracks, Polarity/1 continues to reflect on the
crucial issues facing Americans today, as those in poverty keep
struggling to survive, while the government does little to help out.
With such political music, it's obvious that Polarity/1 is doing his
part to change the face of America. And by listening to the music of
"In Debt We Trust," we are also invited to do the same. Enjoying the
songs and its message is only the beginning, though. In a country
where debt is quickly becoming the only thing we can trust, Polarity/
1's album functions as the ultimate personal question: What are you
going to do to fix America?
All five songs are available for free download at http://www.reverbnation.c
om/polarity1
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