SuppliedPolica
United Crushers
Mom + Pop Music
www.thisispolica.com
In 2012, Polica sent shockwaves through the music world with their eclectic debut album Give You The Ghost. The four-piece group from Minneapolis also received glowing praise from indie demi-god Justin Vernon, which was hardly surprising considering that Vernon had popularized the vocal manipulation techniques that constituted an essential component of Polica’s sound. Although Vernon’s influence on the group is undeniable, Polica’s music resembles edgy synthpop a lot more than it does indie folk. If Metric turned up its bass, traded its guitarist for an extra drummer and somehow convinced Emily Haines to embrace Auto-Tune and sing ballads of the 808s and Heartbreak variety, the resulting sound would be comparable to that of Polica’s debut LP. The group’s sophomore release built on the established formula but incorporated grittier electronics to achieve a more agitated and volatile sound.
United Crushers, Polica’s long-awaited third LP, features the group upping the tempo and scaling back the Auto-Tune — adjustments which give the record an undeniable bounce. Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of what has always been the most fascinating element of Polica’s music — the exhilarating dynamic between the exaggerated distortions of Channy Leaneagh’s vocals and the turbulent rhythms of her drummers. This spirited dance, in which Leaneagh’s voice hangs in the balance between the notes as she races ahead of the percussion one moment and falls behind the next, has always relied on Auto-Tune. The stripped down vocals on United Crushers disrupt the flow of this process by making Leaneagh uncharacteristically in sync with her bandmates. While the songs are consequently tighter and more polished they also lack the magical rhythms that typify the Polica sound. “Kind” uses a run-of-the-mill dark R&B beat, while “Lately” and “Lose You” could pass as Chvrches songs.
United Crushers still has zest though. One of the album’s best moments is “Baby Sucks,” a defiant, fast-paced anthem topped off with some slick horn instrumentation that explores Polica’s familiar themes of solitude and failed relationships. Other highlights include “Wedding” and “Melting Block,” similarly energetic tracks whose political references showcase diverse lyricism. Unfortunately, these songs finish before a spectacular moment can materialize that fully immerses the listener. The prevailing absence of intoxicating crescendos throughout United Crushers is likely to disappoint listeners who are familiar with Polica’s older material.
