Polka accordionist Lynnmarie has displayed steady growth since her debut, One Look. With each ensuing release she's broadened her personality and refined her style. That trend is continued on The Polka Record. While the title of this album might suggest otherwise, Lynnmarie is still evolving. While polkas are at the core of this artist, she's always excelled in injecting other forms of music to expand the confines of polka. Adding country, Tex-Mex, swing, and Cajun were her favorite means of tweaking the polka. This album is comprised solely of polkas, but those aforementioned ingredients are essentially missing here. That leaves Lynnmarie with only the good old polka as her sounding board. The kitschy pop-song-of-yesteryear factor is in full force as she tackles "Never Ending Song of Love," "My Melody of Love," and "Hooked on a Feeling," but strangely those songs don't sound nearly as outdated as they once did. Her charming yet modern style pumps new life into standards like "Pennsylvania Polka," "Beer Barrel Polka," and "Who Stole the Kishka." There is a greater emphasis on guitar on this album, as acoustic and electric picker Charlie Kelley brings to the table a key element not found to this degree in previous Lynnmarie recordings. Kelley also co-produced this record with Lynnmarie, marking another noticeable change for her. The more country-rooted Steve Ivey produced all of her previous albums. The highlights of The Polka Record are the final two tracks: "She Likes It That Way," an infectious, self-deprecating singalong, and a house remix of "Roll out the Barrel."
© Dave Sleger /TiVo