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CMU Approved
Approved: Poliça
By Aly Barchi | Published on Wednesday 11 January 2012
Comprising singer Channy Casselle and producer Ryan Olson (with live shows bolstered by drummers Ben Ivascu and Drew Christopherson, who man dual kits, and Vampire Hands’ Chris Bierden on bass), Minneapolis outfit Poliça have skimmed the indie radar for a little over two years now, completing work on debut LP ‘Give You The Ghost’ before their first live appearance last summer.
Casselle and Olson are both also driving forces in Midwest super-collective Gayngs – traces of whose soulful slowcore are stamped all over Poliça’s debut. And given the mutual love that seems to exist between Poliça, the rest of Gayngs and Bon Iver, it’s great to see Mike Noyce (of both Bon Iver and Gayngs) guest here on ‘Wandering Star’ and the heady, R&B-spiked ‘Lay Your Cards Out’, even if his presence is only slightly felt.
There’s also ‘Dark Star’ – perhaps the most pop-inclined piece on the record, in which Casselle’s gossamer lead whispers its vocoderisms over soft-rock synths. Its crisp percussive stomp sounds all the sweeter for the band’s double-barrelled rhythm section, and the bright brass fanfare that makes for a golden pay-off at the finish.
Yesterday Poliça received the Jay-Z seal of approval, when he featured them on his Life + Times blog, premiering the video for ‘Lay Your Cards Out’ which you can also watch right here: