Poliça: Shulamith – review

Alongside the xx's Coexist, Poliça's debut Give You the Ghost caught the dinner-party perfect, alt-R&B zeitgeist at its peak. Fronted by Channy Leaneagh and produced by Ryan Olson, the indie group sculpted a sound that was at once avant garde and easy-listening, and at one point even earned them Jay-Z's seal of approval. Named after feminist activist Shulamith Firestone, their second album continues to Auto-Tune slinky soul, but begs for a more attentive audience: Smug and Very Cruel spin Portishead's moody trip hop into dreamier soundscapes, while Matty – short for Matrimony – and Chain My Name are both lyrically loaded with societal frustrations. If only Leaneagh's vocals weren't so mutated with effects that render some of her more poignant lyrics indistinguishable, Shulamith's impact might be all the greater. Nevertheless, it's a beautifully melancholic record, and one that will hopefully drown out any banal, post-cheese-platter chatter.