Album Review: Los Angeles Police Department by Los Angeles Police Department

ROCKS LIKE: Elliott Smith, Daniel Johnston, Grizzly Bear WHAT'S DIFFERENT: The sense of intimacy and the country-tinged aesthetic survive from LA songwriter Ryan Pollie's 2014 debut, which produced the left-field hit "She Came Through (Again)." But this eponymous follow-up wisely turns its gaze out the bedroom window. With a major-league mix from Rob Schnapf, Pollie's fragile vocals float here atop arrangements that use synths and echoing drums to create an appealingly spacious setting for confessionals like "The Plane" and "Grown." WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Pollie has set his sights on the big dogs this time out. The expansive sound here is mirrored by a press release that name-checks Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson and Randy Newman.

Full Review >>

While the cordial indie pop that singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Pollie makes under the Los Angeles Police Department banner belies the project's authoritative name, his command of sleepy melodies and miniature orchestrations take a front seat on his sophomore LP. The Philadelphia native first appeared as L.A.P.D. in 2014 with a self-titled released on the Forged Artifacts label introducing a style the merged the half-whispered earnestness of Sufjan Stevens with the hazy soundscapes of the lo-fi bedroom pop scene.

Full Review >>

Los Angeles Police Department, "Los Angeles Police Department" (Anti). Rest assured that if the real LAPD issued an album it'd be covered here, but the second full length by the artist who performs under that moniker, Ryan Pollie, sees him brashly wrest control from the Man without firing a shot. On the contrary, Pollie's delicate delivery but urgent sound makes it seem as though he sang, wrote and arranged his way into the Department.

Full Review >>