"Polly" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter

Moses Sumney Moses Sumney (born May 19, 1992) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. His self-recorded EP, ''Mid-City Island'', was released in 2014. He released another five-song EP in 2016, titled ''Lamentations''. His first full-length album, ''Aroma ...

. It was released on December 13, 2019, as the second single from his second studio album ''

Græ ''Græ'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Moses Sumney. The double album was released in two parts by Jagjaguwar. The first part was released digitally on February 21, 2020, followed by the full album, including its second ...

'' through

Jagjaguwar Jagjaguwar is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana. History In 1996, in Charlottesville, Virginia, University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public resear ...

. The song was written by Sumney with American singer-songwriter Tom Gallo. Sumney also solely produced the track.

Composition

The song was described by Elizabeth Aubrey of ''

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'' as a "gentle acoustic ballad". Lyrically, Marcus J. Moore of ''

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'' stated the song "delves into the frustrations that arise in situationships" as Sumney "volleys between joy and sadness, satisfaction and restlessness". Grady Penna of ''

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'' observed that Sumney explored the dynamic of

polyamory Polyamory () is the practice of, or the desire for, romantic relationships with more than one partner at the same time, with the informed consent of all partners involved. Some people who identify as polyamorous believe in consensual non-mon ...

and unrequited affection through lines: "I want to be cotton candy / In the mouth of many a lover / Saccharine and slick technicolor / I'll dissolve". Sumney also "croons about giving himself an octopus hug, the downside of competing interests, and the desire to dance in time with another lover", as described by Nina Corcoran of ''

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''. Tom Breihan of ''

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'' interpreted the lyrics was about "a confused, ambiguous sexual relationship".

Critical reception

Upon its release, ''

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'' named it as the "Best New Track". Contributor Colin Lodewick connected the track to Sumney's 2017 single, " Doomed" in which Sumney questioned "whether it is okay not to feel love at all". While reviewing "Polly", Lodewick stated that the track "finds him finally full of love, but forced to contend with the truth that he's not loved equally in return". David Crone of

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commended Sumney to sound "transcendent". "Polly" also was described as a "stunning intimate space" and was compared to the work of

Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Vernon had originally formed Bon Iver as a solo project, but it eventually became a band consisting of Vernon (vocals, guit ...

. While reviewing the associated album, ''Pitchforks contributor Jayson Greene described the music as "devastating" and "resonant". "...exists only by the grace of his calloused hands fingerpicking a simple pattern and his voice, which does more to generate cosmos than all the prodigious talents on ''græ'' combined", Greene added. A.D. Amorosi of ''

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'' called the song "folky", "open" and "humble". Amorosi further added: " he song isallowing Sumney to hold his notes ..as if holding his breath while submersed in icy water".

Music video

The accompanying music video of "Polly" was released the same day as the track. It features Sumney cries as he stares into the camera, acting out and reacting to the lyrics. Jayson Greene of ''Pitchfork'' called the video as Sumney's "most exalted work".

Live performances

Sumney performed the song as a part of

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session, released on August 10, 2020.

Personnel

– vocals, songwriting, production, engineering, synths *Ben Baptie – engineering * Tom Gallo – songwriting, engineering, guitar *

Joe LaPorta Joseph J. LaPorta (born January 19, 1980) is an American mastering engineer at Sterling Sound in Edgewater, New Jersey. Career LaPorta was born in New York and grew up there; he graduated from New York University with a bachelor's degree in ...

– mastering *Ricardo Wheelock – engineering Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Græ''.

References

{{Moses Sumney 2019 singles 2019 songs Jagjaguwar singles Moses Sumney songs Songs written by Moses Sumney