Polica Mesmerizes Nashville at Mercy Lounge

Nashville – Channy Leaneagh appeared on stage at Mercy Lounge through a haze of smoke. She’s beautiful in an androgynous way. Her presence is both pixie-like and commanding. She is the unwilling star of the band Polica, the electronic group who first raised hairs in 2011 with the evocative album Give You The Ghost. Leaneagh’s demeanor was serious as she began singing “Spilling Lines,” a song from their October release Shulamith.

Big gestures and movement akin to dancing characterized her performance of the opening song. Her movements got bigger throughout the night as she became more comfortable on stage and felt the music. She never lost awareness of her audience though. Leaneagh is very much a performer and it is obvious that she wanted to connect the audience to her music. Her earnest efforts were what endeared her to the crowd more than her most impassioned arm throw.

It was a tough job Leaneagh had. The band’s two drummers, Drew Christopherson and Ben Ivascu, sat in the back behind the synthetic smoke screen. Chris Bierden on bass was in more of a support role than an engaged member of the band, so Leaneagh was the point of focus as she moved across the front of the stage, patting on synths and foot petals while she moved with the beat. Leaneagh is the band’s main songwriter though, so perhaps this all-eyes-on-Leaneagh dynamic is appropriate.

Much of the synthesized silkiness of Polica’s studio albums was absent and replaced with low end drums and bass. Because of the dominant rhythm section, Polica’s music sounded less like trip-hop and more like electro-pop. The evening leant itself to dancing more than anyone in the crowd was expecting.

Leaneagh’s voice noticeably lacked the heavy, stylistic Auto-tune that helped differentiate Polica’s debut album from the sea of electronic music made in the past few years. This missing component didn’t really matter though. Leaneagh’s voice still sounded bright and ethereal, and it moved with practiced fluidity without the cloak ofAuto-tune. Interestingly, Leaneagh’s lyrics were still indecipherable without the Auto-tune, perhaps even less decipherable than they are on the album with its distortion qualities. Words and phrases could be picked out here and there, but Leaneagh’s voice is really more of an instrument than a vehicle for lyrics. She wasn’t lying when she told Rolling Stone “I’m using my voice more like a guitar.”

The band moved through each song with few words in between. Leaneagh introduced “Black Star” but didn’t even make mention of a Gayngs song that the crowd was excited to hear. (Leaneagh was once a member of Gayngs along with Ryan Olson who played a major hand in bringing Polica to fruition.) Leaneagh is clearly not one to thrive in the limelight as many musicians do. But her over-sized black t-shirt and soft voice only seemed to add to her charismatic mystique. Her humility is what makes her so likable despite her quiet, serious manner.

Polica is the answer for those of us who are bummed that we were playing pogs during Portishead’s heyday. Like Beth Gibbons, Channy Leaneagh fronts her band with vigor and grace. She is one of those rare women who can claim to be the creative force leading a band. Real instruments in a live setting give Polica’s electronic driven sound more fullness and depth. Leaneagh’s voice shimmers above it all.

Polica is touring through the beginning of December and picking it back up again in 2014. You can check out their tour dates here.

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Caroline McDonald

My first memory is of singing Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” quietly to myself during preschool naptime. Perhaps it’s because I’m from Nashville where an instrument lives in every home, but music has gripped me for as long as I can remember.

After dabbling in many parts of the music industry—recording studios, PR, management, labels, publishing—I’m expanding into music journalism because I’m yet to find anything more rewarding that finding and sharing new music.

A longtime sucker for girls with guitars, my musical taste unabashedly follows the songwriting lineage of Dolly Parton and includes Patty Griffin, Gillian Welch, and Neko Case. But not to pigeonhole myself, my music love is big love that stretches from R.L. Burnside to Animal Collective to Lord Huron.

I’ve recently moved home to Nashville after living in Boston and Big Sur for several years. I’d forgotten how music pours onto the streets ten hours a day, seven days a week. I’m honored to share the creative explosion happening here. If your band is in the area or of the area, please reach out!