Mike Polizze – Cheewawa
I’m going to keep Mike Polizze, Cheewawa review brief as I would like to feature Mike Polizze very soon on this blog to promote his latest LP Long Lost Solace Find. I’ll focus on the video and song ‘Cheewawa’. Mike has been making music a long time now and it’s exciting for me to go backwards into his band Purling Hiss to see the growth or change. Eventually I’ll make my way to his band Birds of Maya. Guest guitarist Kurt Vile appears and it makes for a combination of two different songwriters collaborating in a labor of love.
This song embodies the qualities of Philadelphia I love. Strong indie scene. Parks. Those sunny days which may or may not come around. Don’t believe the show, it’s not always sunny in Philly. The bands I’ve been tracking from there since I left share enthusiasm and passion for listening and creating sounds. The video shows Mike presumably in a park like setting strumming an acoustic. It’s what I do when I play. I go to the park on a nice day. I can get some sun and shy away from SEPTA or your local bus line’s exhaust and angry traffic.
Cheewawa’s spelling itself could lend a nod to local WAWA. Philly’s own convenience chain where you can buy sugar water and preserved snacks. If you are not from Philly, the song and video transcends its localism in the sense you have killer songwriting.
Furthermore I would wager Mike pulls inspiration from your hardest hitting songwriters that are now revered as legend.
Both Mike Polizze and Kurt Vile are from Philadelphia, so it’s only natural that there is a slight K.V. vibe on Cheewawa.
The production of the track is super clean. Cheewawa captures the nuances of a super clean tube amp and an acoustic guitar playing together. This layering makes for a dreamy quality that I am a sucker for. I can’t wait to discover the rest of the LP.
The video has some trippy, double exposure work. It feels like you just woke up on a sunny day under a cool shaded tree and you may be still sleepy, but totally blissed out. The footage of Mike appears out of sync on purpose. It reminds me of my struggles trying to video myself and having the uncertainty of getting a good shot with the camera. Look for the LP on