Pole Position

As the first single the Folk Implosion released since the unexpected success of Natural One, expectations were high for Pole Position. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone familiar with Lou Barlow or John Davis that the single didn't deliver commercially, even if it had elements of Natural One in its trip-hop beat and shamelessly catchy chorus. The difference was, where Natural One felt like alternative radio, Pole Position feels like a post-punk classic -- a song singularly out of time, so there was little chance of it scaling the charts on its own. Despite its lack of commercial success, it was a wonderful single, one of the best of 1997. As a single/EP, it's supported by the acoustic Opening Day and Summer's Over, two fine indie-rock songs that are nevertheless overshadowed by their near-classic companion. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide