Although it took Jonny Polonsky more than two decades to put out five records, the LA, by way of Chicago, cult pop artist apparently harbored a bunch of songs none of us were ever privy to. As a follow up to last year’s Fresh Flesh, Polonsky is offering up 21 rarities for his patient fans and it appears the wait was worth it.
This set spans the full 22 years since his fantastic debut, Hi, My Name is Jonny, (an album that sat alone on the merch table for eight long years before Polonsky finally turned in the follow up) and last year’s solid LP.
Like most compilation albums, especially one with close to two dozen tracks, not everyone here is destined to be a fan favorite, but the record starts of strong with two of his best songs yet, the deceptively dark “Everywhere All the Time” and “Do You Remember”. Overall, the cache here is in keeping with Polonsky’s brilliant marriage of lyrical wittiness and smart catchy pop music. He also excises some of his quirkier musical impulses here on songs like the Samba/Wah Wah-filled “Black Rainbow.”
Unreleashed is available on a special vinyl gatefold edition, with a limited run of colored vinyl. And while the vinyl version houses 18 tracks, the digital and CD versions include three extra songs.
Jonny Polonsky – Unreleashed : Demos and Rarities 1996 – 2018/Jett Plastic Recordings /2018 / Facebook