by Alexandra Mrozowska
– Senior Columnist —
“It’s all in the family,” you might have thought when looking upon the family affairs that’s been the core of many a rock band throughout the history of the genre. Think brothers Duane and Gregg Allman crossing the border between the blues and Southern Rock in Allman Brothers Band, or Angus and Malcolm Young who went on forming AC/DC – on to some less obvious examples. One of these projects run by rock-oriented siblings is Mr Pollack, formed in 1989 by two brothers from Mielec, Poland – Jacek and Grzegorz Polak. Twenty five years later, the discography of the talented siblings was enriched with yet another effort entitled Black Hawk, a fine piece of contemporary rock.
The first track “Black Hawk Mielec Rock” says a lot about the entirety of the album, laden with fine soft rock melodies against the wall of perfectly crafted guitar sounds. “Stand Up And Run” is the one to follow, gravitating towards more funk-ish manner. It’s a groovy track with feisty verses and melodic choruses that perhaps reveal some black music-related fascinations of the Polak brothers. “The Plan B” is based on a thrumming bass line and low-tuned guitars, with a surprising acoustic solo in the middle, whereas “Socrates” goes funky all the way again in a manner that’s kind of reminiscent of Glenn Hughes solo works. It’s one of the most varied songs on Black Hawk, with the pounding, meaty sounds squeezed out of the rhythm section, Hendrix-infused guitar licks and prog rock-oriented interludes on keyboards. And speaking of diversity in terms of sound – a ballad-esque “The Wheel Of Life” is the one to feature some rapid changes of pace and mood, from the mellow acoustic intro to the emotionally-laden, melodic solo and all the way back.
“Gold And Money” is more feisty and guitar-oriented as it features the guest participation by Grzegorz Skawinski (Kombi, ex-O.N.A., ex-Skawalker), one of the most talented Polish guitar players and singers/songwriters. Next is “I Know You”, characterized by the interesting riff and equilibristic solo, that is followed by “Power And The Glory” – the mid-tempo verses of the latter are in vivid contrast with the monumental, heavy choruses. The guitar solo sounds surprisingly contemporary, being a rare example of Jacek Polak abandoning his old-school roots in favor of modern-day rock sound. However, the guitar aficionados would probably prefer the final track “Sunday Track” to this one anyway, as it features one of the most dynamic, fiery solos on the entire album. The remaining tracks are the bonuses – five songs being the Polish-language version of “Black Hawk Mielec Rock,” “Stand Up And Run,” “The Plan B,” “Socrates” and “The Wheel Of Life,” all adding up the element of linguistic curio to the content of Black Hawk.
The biggest asset to Mr Pollack’s Black Hawk is the well-balanced sound of the album, one that’s neither too modern nor too old-school and repetitive. The Polak brothers apparently have little inclination towards chasing the most “current” trends in rock which, as every kind of fad, are here today and gone tomorrow – but they’re not into dusting off and recycling the old, forgotten patterns that were “on” thirty years ago, too. Another strong point of Black Hawk is the album’s diversity expressed by various song arrangements and flavors to particular songs on the record, especially these gravitating towards more funky side of things. Having added their experience and maturity to this as well as the duo’s undeniable talent appreciated all around the world from their homeland Poland to China (where they toured recently to the great acclaim of the local audience), Mr Pollack is a well-performed melodic rock piece that is worth being checked out. Recommended.
Genre: Rock, Melodic Rock
Band:
Jacek Polak: vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboards
Grzegorz Polak: drums
Bartek “Gibson” Filip: bass guitar
Additional musicians:
Grzegorz Skawiński: guitar (track 6)
Track List:
1. Black Hawk Mielec Rock
2. Stand Up And Run
3. The Plan B
4. Socrates
5. The Wheel Of Life
6. Gold And Money
7. I Know You
8. Power And The Glory
9. Sunday Track
10. Black Hawk Mielec Song [bonus track]
11. Jak skala [bonus track]
12. Plan [bonus track]
13. Sokrates [bonus track]
14. Koło zycia [bonus track]
Label: Independent
Website: http://www.mrpollack.pl
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10
