Polly Scattergood - Polly Scattergood (2009)

She is a Brit School graduate, but Polly Scattergood couldn't
be further removed from her contemporaries. An Essex girl who
finds a disquieting delight in suicide, she is Sylvia Plath to
Katie Melua's Pam Ayres.

Scattergood is no overnight success story either. Her first
single, Glory Hallelujah, came out in 2005, but it was the
startling electro-symphony Nitrogen Pink, released in
September 2007, that made the 22-year-old one to watch.

But while she is experimental on record, Scattergood is
hesitant and shy in person. She tip-toes on stage, and meets
wolf whistles, inspired by her blonde tendrils and black
puffball dress, with a nervous smile.

When she sings, Scattergood channels her fear into achingly
intimate pleas and powerful rages. Her trembling voice recalls
Kate Bush and Tori Amos, her arms wafting around her head,
hands clawing the air, visibly wrestling with the insecurities
and bitter imagery that litter her songs.

Yet stripped of her usual backing, Scattergood's uniquely
skewered songwriting and versatile voice shine brighter, and
the solo effort loosens her up. Her usual suffering is swapped
for swinging hips during the poppy Please Don't Touch. But
it's Nitrogen Pink that prompts her broadest smiles, as she
senses escape is near.

Download


Polly Scattergood - Other Too Endless from Lucid Online on Vimeo.