Siberia (Bonus Track Version)

The dearth of quality rock groups in 2013 has let bands from previous decades dust off their equipment and keep the tradition alive. Polvo was often overlooked in its mid-'90s prime. There were simply too many underground bands to keep track of, and Chapel Hill already had Superchunk to lead its division. With its brand of math rock, Polvo was also more nuanced than its competitors; many of its best moments were looked over in favor of bands that wrote simple, killer riffs. In 2013, with more time to reflect and rediscover, Polvo hits back hard with Siberia—an album where its intricate guitar work and advanced time signatures work to the benefit of songs such as “Total Immersion,” the truly squirmy “Blues Is Loss," and the painfully honest “Light, Raking,” where The Allman Brothers angle of Polvo's equation comes cruising into view. Polvo may be aging vets in a scene once cherished for its youth, but the power of “The Water Wheel” and the raw, insightful demo bonus track of “Sad Snow” prove that quality musicianship is ageless.