Although not exactly a perfect metaphor for the state of the world post-COVID, John Carpenter’s fantasy-horror In the Mouth of Madness depicted a sort of pandemic of collective insanity that vaguely recalls the one we all experienced early in 2020 when details on the then-new virus were still scarce. While certainly less interesting than a mental rewiring at the hands of a work of fiction, the pandemic-era madness Channy Leaneagh sings about on the new Poliça album borders on science fiction nearly as much as it feels relatable, with lyrics about dreams merging with reality and a new inability to recognize our past selves pulsing through the record.
Meanwhile, the instrumentals on Madness take the Minneapolis-based group further into the experimental realm they’ve always flirted with, thanks in part to an “anthropomorphic production tool” named AllOvers(c), which was designed by producers Ryan Olson and Seth Rosetter (and which is now on display at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art). Countering the anxious, driving beat of opener “Alive” is the title track, which dips into near ambience over its five and a half minutes as if slipping into a dream state. “Fountain” provides the record’s experimental peak, where the instrumental is crafted from two conversing voices manipulated using Olson and Rosetter’s production tool, while “Sweet Memz” closes things out on a different note of experimentation signified by a neo-dub beat.
With the record out today, Leaneagh took the time to walk us through each track, noting the story behind each song as well as highlighting a key lyric. Hear the album in full and read on for her thoughts.
1. “Alive”
“Alive” is basically about sex after rape.
Key lyric:
I want to like it
Was a time, I was a child
Or was it luck?
2. “Violence”
“Violence” is somewhat about two people seeing the reality of their relationship in their own self-serving story—who gets to decide the truth of a relationship between two people?
Key lyric:
You gonna be my babe
Even if you don’t
Want it
In violence and regret
3. “Away”
I really grew up when I realized the mind was a liar and I did not need to follow its whims. In my experience and observation, the body has the intelligence and the mind is usually just rambling: It’s a great tool when I’m writing songs or trying to entertain, but as a wise sage in human decisions it isn’t always reliable.
Key lyric:
If i could only find the one I love
That is the one I want to see
4. “Madness”
I heard that many people during the pandemic were having more vibrant dreams and daydreams after months of lockdowns and loss of variation in their days. We can attach more meaning to people who meant very little to us before the pandemic, but in their absence in our lives they are built into a storyline in our imagination and dreams that is completely ridiculous. It’s pretty hilarious to meet that person once again post-pandemic and be like…“Oh yeah, I don’t even know you.”
Key lyric:
Madness, I can’t get you out my mind
Pretending it’s not eating me alive
5. “Blood”
Mothers all over the world know about the sacrifices of the self for the survival of their children. Motherhood is suffocating; motherhood is truly living. It is the best part of me while also feeling like it’s destroying some part of me. But what was so great about what it’s destroying? Asking for a friend…
Key lyric:
I don’t have freedom, and I want none of it
6. “Fountain”
Now is a good time to take a break from explaining song lyrics and explain AllOvers(c) a bit without divulging too much. AllOvers(c) is a production tool designed by Ryan Olson and programmed by Seth Rossettor. Olson and Rossettor spent many a night finetuning this program which is now on exhibit at MASS MoCA. At MASS MoCA it can take the sound of people walking down the stairs, washing their hands, and chattering away into beats, synths with specific BPMs, keys, and styles.
On the song “Fountain” it took a conversation with Olson and our son Schwa and generated it into a melody and beat which I then wrote to and recorded these vocals over. Other people were added to the song, and then different parts of it would be run through AllOvers(c) various more times. It is essentially collaborating with AI much like the artwork for the Madness record and the “Rotting” single released on February 28.
7. “Sweet Memz”
I was working at a grocery store during the pandemic. Poliça would be playing on the store’s stereo and my co-workers would be like, “Isn’t that you, Channy?” And it really surprised me how disassociated I was from that person singing. I honestly couldn’t recognize the songs sometimes, or else I would be so sincerely amazed that I had sung that song at one point. It seemed like another planet away from where I was now. Suddenly, I felt the weight of not being present in my body during some of my life. Now, my memories seem to belong to someone else. It wasn’t imposter syndrome, it was a genuine surprise at my life’s path.
Key lyric:
“God if that’s me, then where’d all the time go?”
Song that relates to this song:
Portishead, “It Could Be Sweet”
