Written by: Mike Dimitriou
American singer-songwriter, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Jonny Polonsky presents his new single “Ghost Like Soul,” featuring spoken words by Cedric Bixler-Zavala (The Mars Volta/ At The Drive-In) ahead of his new album Kingdom of Sleep.
Self-produced by Polonsky, this album was mixed and mastered by Mike Tholen (Chris Connelly, Revolting Cocks). As a musician, Polonsky has performed on albums by Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), Pete Yorn, Dixie Chicks, Minnie Driver, and Donovan. His very busy career also includes six full-length solo records over 23 years, with his early DIY demos getting support from Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie, Tin Machine), Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello), Zander Schloss (Joe Strummer, Circle Jerks), and John Zorn.
Hailing from Chicago and now based in NYC, Polonsky presents his solo works as a celebration of what it feels like to be human; from the exalted, grandest moments of euphoria and bliss, to the universal pain of loss and letting go. In his new album, his work takes a labyrinthine journey through the groundbreaking means of experimental pop music. The instrumentation on this record ranges beyond the standard guitar, bass, and drums style. With Middle Eastern finger cymbals, gongs, bass clarinets, piccolos, harmonica, bass fiddles, and a children’s choir, his new album is a brilliant adventure for the acoustic nerve. Add into that the big number of additional musicians and guests along with excellent production and you have a state-of-the-art, experimental pop marvel!
“Ghost Like Soul” is a perfect glimpse of the complexity and accessibility of the album–it’s catchy, it’s innovative and it’s fabulous!
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