Ones To Watch: POLIÇA

Last year saw a big resurgence in (good sounding) R&’B music, with artists like The Weeknd, Frank Ocean or Active Child, among others, fronting what came to be known as PBR&B (a movement we obviously loved, seeing as how all three artists are on our Best Albums of 2011 list). Today, I am pleased to welcome Minneapolis band POLIÇA to the movement.

The project began as a collaborative effort between Channy Casselle and Ryan Olson, of Roma di Luna (Channy) and Gayngs (both) fame, back in June of last year. By July the pair had already finished 11 songs and sought out drummers Ben Ivascu and Drew Christopherson (yes, that’s right, two kits for double the awesomeness) to complete the project.

It’s now just a few months later and the band have their debut album, “Give You the Ghost”, due out next month, ready for mass consumption. So far, the band have released three songs in anticipation of the record, “Lay Your Cards Out”, “Wandering Star” (which both feature Mike Noyce of Bon Iver on vocals), and “Dark Star”.

The three songs are perfect examples of the band’s sound, and are most definitely standouts from the album. The style is unmistakably original, fusing sounds first presented by Active Child, Gayngs or even Bon Iver to create sultry R’n'B rhythms over some stellar vocoded vocals. The studio allows the band to get creative, and it’s a pleasure to hear Channy singing the same line with two different melodies and  tempos in each channel.

When the vocals aren’t taking the spotlight, the drums have their time to shine, such as on “Dark Star”, a much more agressive track than the band is used to, that features a hard-hitting rhythm section which really adds another layer of depth to the song. The band wants to drag you in, and the layers of synths, vocals and drums combine brilliantly with just the right amount of catchiness, experimentation and atmosphere to reel any listener in.

Juxtaposing “Dark Star” is “Lay Your Cards Out”, which works it’s magic in a much more subtle way. The somber synths are soon met with a deep electronic drum sound before Channy’s (best?) vocal and the drums kick in. There’s a great contrast between the forefront (the vocals) and the backdrop (the drums) here, as the former stays relatively subdued while the latter builds periodically, leading to the ecstatic last minute in which vocals (Mike Noyce’s are most present here) swirl before the track lets out its final breaths of air.

“Wandering Star” lies somewhere between the two, but it’s just as successful. Channy’s vocals show a more agressive side, and Mike Noyce adds a nice, yet subtle, background vocal to complement the main delivery. The track may feature the band’s catchiest moments, but never sacrificing the experimentation.

POLIÇA‘s fresh take on R’n'B has me incredibly excited for what’s to come from them in the future. It’s rare that a band gets so many things right so early in their careers, but seeing as how none of the members are new to the music scene it really isn’t much of a surprise.

Be sure to download “Lay Your Cards Out” and “Wandering Star” below, and go to their website to listen to “Dark Star”.

Connect with POLIÇA – Facebook | Twitter | Website | Soundcloud

POLIÇA – “Lay Your Cards Out (feat. Mike Noyce)”
POLIÇA – “Wandering Star (feat. Mike Noyce)”