Yes, It's True.

Six years after The Polyphonic Spree’s last official studio album (Christmas albums don’t count, nor do live albums covering The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Yes, It’s True brings back the sound of a band that's literally giving its fans what they paid for. For here’s what a 22-member band with $100,000 in donations from Kickstarter can do. It feels as if leader Tim DeLaughter took the time to craft some excellent pop songs that use (but never abuse) the opportunity to have grand arrangements. Granted, the group's “pop” sound is a throwback to a variety of eras: the cheerier ends of the '60s for “You Don’t Know Me,” the synthetic ‘80s on “Hold Yourself Up," and (according to a voice just before “You’re Golden”) the '70s. Yet all deserve to be radio songs in this era. If it weren’t for the horn arrangements and backing vocal choirs, a tune like “Carefully Try” could easily be delivered by a traditional quintet. “Heart Talk” pumps it up like Elvis Costello gone eclectic. “Raise Your Head” relaxes the mind and floats downstream. Or perhaps it just floats in a glorious circle. Either way, it’s a chilling experience.