In an industry where auto-tune is often synonymous with lack of talent, the vocals of Channy Leaneagh, frontwoman of Minneapolis electro-pop group Poliça, are boldly filtered through reverb and auto-tune on each of their albums. But the use of these tools is an overt stylistic choice for Leaneagh and band co-creator Ryan Olson, Leaneagh calls the effect "like taking drugs for your voice;" used to distort rather than correct. The two began working together under the Poliça moniker in 2011, after Leaneagh sang backup in Olson's band Gayngs. While Leaneagh's ever-adapting vocals are one of the more striking features of Poliça's sound, the complexity of their R&B, electronic, and pop influences have been widely praised. The act has attracted attention not only from critics, but from artists like Justin Vernon, who was featured on Poliça's sophomore album Shulamith.
Channy Leaneagh and bassist Chris Bierden, flanked by two full drum kits, took to the Bumbershoot Music Lounge Stage with the goal of playing as many songs as possible with minimal banter. The approach -- besides allowing for more songs -- resulted in a seldom interrupted performance of otherworldly music.The group started with Shulamith's "Warrior Lord." Leaneagh used her pedals to their fullest potential, at times opting for a more natural sound and at others letting loose in an incomprehensible deluge of electronic vocals. Even under the distortion Leaneagh's vocals are delicate, yet there's a brutality in Poliça's live performance. Drummers Ben Ivascu and Drew Christopherson acted as the set's backbone with their congruent drumming.
Leaneagh belted her way through songs from both of their albums as well as their recent EP, Raw Exit. With each, the band's sound straddled its signature line between energetic and melancholic. Added to the live drums, bass, and vocals were indescribable electronically produced sounds. Poliça's unnatural yet raw style overwhelmed the Music Lounge and left a bewildering absence as "Amongster" reverberated into silence.
