When We Stay Alive (LP)
Poliça
Amoeba Review
07/21/2020
Poliça makes an impressive return with the haunting When We Stay Alive. Many of the songs were written in the wake of vocalist Channy Leaneagh’s recovery from a 2018 accident that left her with limited mobility physically and a lot of anger, fear, and regret emotionally. Naturally, the resulting tracks touch the darkness but there’s also a very evident straining for the light. As the album progresses, from the gorgeously eerie “Driving” to the redemptive “Sea Without Blue,” the listener is taken along on Leaneagh’s road to redemption. When We Stay Alive is a glistening jewel of an album, one of those rare artistic experiences that feels like a reliable companion throughout both pain and joy.