Generation Indigo [Digipak] * by Poly collections Styrene NEUF

Performer Notes:

• Lyricist: Poly Styrene.
• Personnel: Poly Styrene (vocals).
• Audio Mixer: Jon Gray.
• Recording information: Britannia Row Studios; Drumshack Studios; Youthanasia Laboratories.
• Photographer: Fabrizio Rainone.
• As her backing band drives home an uptempo R&B beat -- or at least the new wave eras idea of an R&B beat -- punk veteran Poly Styrene sings her manifesto, "Well you can call me a bitch, or a bit of a witch/But I would say Im just a little bit kitsch." Infectious and bouncy as anything her old punk band X-Ray Spex ever played in front of a pogoing crowd, "Kitsch" is just one of the many highlights on Styrenes 2011 return, Generation Indigo, an album that embraces the future with a healthy dose of skepticism. The synth pop single "Virtual Boyfriend" is a tongue-in-cheek love song for the social networking generation, while the rock-disco rave-up "I Luv Ur Sneakers" is the Spexs "Obsessed with You" all grown up yet still young at heart. The simple pleas for peace and "L.U.V." are catchy, charming, and meaningful miniatures that help anchor the album after all the subtle satire, but the biggest gift comes in the form of "Electric Blue Monsoon," a kitsch-meets-Krishna number from the woman who first combined the two. A welcome return thats forward-looking at the same time is rare, but the tragic irony of Generation Indigo is that singer/songwriter died of breast cancer just weeks after the album was released in the U.K., and on the very day it landed in the U.S. Still, she is the strong and bittersweet angel of truth to the very end, consoling fans here with "Luv is what we were conceived of/Luv is how well disappear" before repeating "No more fear/No more fear." With every manifesto being tempered by a transforming mantra, Generation Indigo is quintessential Styrene. ~ David Jeffries

Professional Reviews: Spin (p.73) - "Whether deleting Internet suitors or celebrating cruelty-free footwear, her street-smart squeak and plastic-fantastic perspective are undimmed, now buoyed by a heartfelt beneficence."

Record Collector (magazine) (p.94) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "This is a damn good record....Stripped of her punk inflections, theres a beauty to Polys voice."

Uncut (magazine) (p.95) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he pair largely stick to Kim Wilde-meets-Avril Lavigne synth-rock celebrations....A fizzy/funny triumph."

Format: CD (1 Disc); Stereo

Studio/Live: Studio

Country: USA

Release Date: 1 April, 2011

Label: Redeye Music Distribution

Dimensions: 12.6 x 14.1 x 0.5 centimeters (0.05 kg)