Rolling Stone - 3 stars out of 5 - "...An uncanny combination of rock orchestra and choir...evoking Up With People's all-American optimism but also bears the wounds of Spiritualized and Flaming Lips..." Mojo - Ranked #27 in Mojo's "Best Albums of 2002" Mojo - "...Their pop peaks sound like an ecstatic communion of Mercury Rev, ELO and the cast of HAIR..." Q - Included in Q Magazine's "The 50 Best Albums of 2002." CMJ - "...The group makes tuneful and tasteful use of an array of aural colors in 10 nameless psychedelic soundscapes....it happens to kick a little booty..." Uncut - Ranked #61 in Uncut's "100 Best Albums of the Year" Uncut - 4 stars out of 5 - "...a bright, beatific prayer-meeting-cum-jam-session...Charming, involving, only marginally creepy..." NME - 9 out of 10 - "...A huge, humane record that could airlift the gloomiest soul from the Slough Of Despond. Never mind the cassocks, here's The Polyphonic Spree...the good news starts here." Q - 4 stars out of 5 - "...[The album has] the humanist warmth and simple joy that you hear in The Beach Boys or The Flaming Lips at their best..." Q (12/02, p.67) - Included in Q Magazine's "The 50 Best Albums of 2002." Mojo (1/03, p.75) - Ranked #27 in Mojo's "Best Albums of 2002" Uncut (1/03, p.97) - Ranked #61 in Uncut's "100 Best Albums of the Year" Rolling Stone (8/8/02, p.82) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...An uncanny combination of rock orchestra and choir...evoking Up With People's all-American optimism but also bears the wounds of Spiritualized and Flaming Lips..." Q (11/02, p.114) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...[The album has] the humanist warmth and simple joy that you hear in The Beach Boys or The Flaming Lips at their best..." Mojo (10/02, p.110) - "...Their pop peaks sound like an ecstatic communion of Mercury Rev, ELO and the cast of HAIR..." NME (9/21/02, p.37) - 9 out of 10 - "...A huge, humane record that could airlift the gloomiest soul from the Slough Of Despond. Never mind the cassocks, here's The Polyphonic Spree...the good news starts here." CMJ (6/02, p.15) - "...The group makes tuneful and tasteful use of an array of aural colors in 10 nameless psychedelic soundscapes....it happens to kick a little booty..." Uncut (9/02, p.116) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...a bright, beatific prayer-meeting-cum-jam-session...Charming, involving, only marginally creepy..." Spin - "[S]tandouts 'It's the Sun' and 'Have a Day' brim with irresistible optimism."

Rovi

'The Beginning Stages Of...' is the debut album from The Polyphonic Spree, a band consisting of the remaining members of Tripping Daisy and a few dozen of their friends. The end result is a mass congregation of white robed musicians composing orchestral rock and pop reminiscent of the Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev and Spiritualized. A bonus DVD featuring live footage is included here.|

Rovi