Polka for a Gloomy World begins with "Hosa Dyna," an old European polka taken at a breakneck tempo. Near the end of the song, accordionist Carl Finch, the Brave Combo major-domo, shouts out, "Rock it, boys!" And the rest of the band does just that, proving once again that the ancient 2/4 Bohemian dance doesn't have to be a sleepy shuffle reserved for elderly aunts at wedding receptions. This album proves the polka can be every bit as invigorating as a Cajun two-step, another dance music rescued from wedding-reception hell.
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