Auto-Tune has a lot to answer for – but a lot to give. The world of pop has received some much needed boost over the past few years with the likes of self-prescribed internet-popster Grimes, the Gothic operatics of Zola Jesus and the futurist manipulations of Purity Ring, amongst many others. Now you can add Minneapolis' Poliça to the mix. Rising tangentially out of soft-rock paeans Gayngs (that features Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and counts Kanye West as a fan), the quartet build debut record Give You The Ghost on the standard platform of the aftermath of a relationship breakdown, and infuse it with righteousness and romanticism amidst shimmering shards of reverb and – you guessed it – Auto-Tune.
The genius of Poliça is the insistence of using this nefarious vocal tool in a restrained, sober manner, so that vocalist Channy Leanagh becomes an instrument herself and adds to the alienation and isolation of the subject matter rather than as Polyfilla for a rubbish voice. Rhythmically the tracks are scattered with spark, the pulsing electronics buoyed with vibrant percussion. It inhabits the same woozy world as another new discovery, The Weeknd, yet instead of dazed misogyny and wearisome partying these confessions aren't as heartrending, focusing on wringing out mood and atmosphere rather than revelation.
Give You The Ghost is blissful (Amongster), sensual (Dark Star), controlled (I See Your Mother) and vulnerable (Wandering Star), all executed with measured control, yet its clear manipulation never feels invasive. On the contrary – Poliça have proven themselves as inimitably listenable, a multi-layered experiment that knows and understands what it means to be making pop music.
