Syzygy
Three people. One adventure. Cosmic alignment? Polka Dot Dot Dot, based in Olympia, WA, formed when three travelers (Jordan O’Jordan, Onyx of Olympia, and Colleen Johnson or Twig Palace) met on the treefern-speckled shores of New Zealand. Combining their solo sets for a last-minute spot at the Camp A Low Hum Music Festival, the Dots charmed crowds with their refreshing blend of folk, tin pan alley, and a cappella styles. Their first album, Love Letter to New Zealand reflected this impromptu musical spirit.
On their 2nd full-length release, Syzygy (a term that refers to planetary alignment), the Dots deliver a record that is unique, beautiful, and more patient than their last. Written after two US tours and a return trip to New Zealand, these songs deal with the fleeting nature of movement, friendship, and infatuation. While still full of their characteristic 3 part harmonies and instrumentation (guitar, banjo, ukulele, musical saw, harp, and hand-clap percussion), Syzygy expands the Dots’ sound with more orchestration and vocal arrangement.
Yet, despite the fairly existential themes of this new record, Polka Dot Dot Dot have crafted an album that floats and bobs on a cosmic sea, and is neither too heavy nor too light. Here, gravity has a gentle touch and allows us along on this trip, leaving us star-speckled and beaming at the end.“Polka Dot Dot Dot features blissful harmonies, and pure simple songwriting… There is something so comforting and familiar about their music, … With each listen I am left smiling and humming to myself, and what more is left to want?” – Dipped in Dollars
“The three Polka Dots, famous for their Pied Piper procession through the woods at Camp A Low Hum ‘07 give you the feeling they have skipped and harmonized all the way from Washington State. Their quirky, A’cappella, folk music seems hard to imagine until you see them in action…” – Under the Radar
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[...] may have seen our recent blogpost about Polka Dot Dot Dot’s newest album, Syzygy. But I don’t think you’ve had quite enough Polka Dot Dot Dot, so here’s a video [...]