6/10

Ever since the release of their seminal debut LP 'Give You The Ghost' in 2012, US electro-pop innovators POLIÇA have always been ones to explore the outer reaches of their sound. With a fresh and dynamic approach to the genre throughout their tenure, their more recent offerings have seen them reach further and further into the atmospheric peripheries of their chosen direction, usually resulting in a more experimental guise throughout. But with their previous effort 'When We Stay Alive' arriving mere months before the pandemic, they now reemerge with their sixth studio album 'Madness', a record that sees them broaden themselves even further.

Much like the aesthetic they have been pursuing in recent years, 'Madness' sees them maintain a smooth and tranquil identity that looks to pit frontwoman Channy Leaneagh's raw and sensual voice against some wonderfully vibrant and ethereal production. Throughout this eight-track collection, they seem to adopt a more humble vibe that is almost at odds with the more euphoric intentions of their earlier years, creating a style that reins in much of the sweeping eccentricities of their origins in exchange for a more elegant and driven texture from start to finish.

While this rich and adventurous tone has its moments, 'Madness' does feel a tad flat when set against their older material. There are plenty of fresh and enticing moments littered throughout, but sometimes has trouble getting into out of second gear and firing itself in the same way as they have shown before.