Polo Perks has just shared his new video single “Allyndale Driveâ€. The new single interpolates Alex G’s indie-rock hit “Gretelâ€Â –– a track personally picked by Polo and showcases his deep, well-grounded indie roots. The NYC rapper rose to prominence with his 2021 mixtape PUNK GOES DRILL+**, a project that mixes the depths of the pop-punk of the past and the current drill wave that has taken over New York City flawlessly. He followed this up later in the year with the final chapter in his ICFM series i.c.f.m. Pt. 3 / fortheonesilost, which The FADER noted for being as “chaotic as it is funâ€. This past summer, Polo was featured in New York Magazine’s piece “The Voice of New York is Drillâ€Â and detailed the nuance in drill’s composition, as well as discussed the ongoing suppression the sub-genre is experiencing at the hands of Mayor Adams and the NYPD.
“Allyndale Driveâ€Â sets the tone–over a reimagined flip “Gretelâ€Â from indie-rock statesmen Alex G, the sultry track is an exploration of grief, angst, and survivor’s remorse. In little over 2 minutes, Polo reflects and mourns his fallen friends including Fiji and late-Connecticut rappers Smithy & Speedy with his quintessential down-tempo flow and intentional murmuring. The track shows Polo taking his punk-laced sound in an entirely new direction––taking the elements of his alt-rock upbringing and collaging them with his underground hip-hop roots, resulting in a sound filled to the brim with the best of both worlds. In the words of Polo:
“I dedicated this song to 3 friends of mine who are close to my heart, but are no longer with us today. Being so caught up in winning sometimes, you don’t get to shed light on your losses, I just needed someone to relate to me.â€
© 2023, Seth “Digital Crates” Barmash. All rights reserved.