Poliça have always been an interestingly skewed proposition. Emerging in 2011 as a spin-off from the Minneapolis super-group/collective Ganygs, Poliça combines R&B stylings with synth-pop and an air of trip-hop moodiness. Add to that lead singer Channy Leaneagh’s love of submerging her vocals in distorted Auto-Tune and other vocal effects along with the presence of two drummers, and Poliça obviously has a lot going on. But as its debut album, Giving Up the Ghost, proved, it isn’t just superfluous window dressing or quirkiness. All the disparate parts fuse together into an interesting and greater whole. Now a little bit more than a year later, the band has returned with their follow-up, Shulamith.

Shulamith is named after the late Shulamith Firestone, an important figure in the development of radical feminism. While Shuamith’s influence and teachings may be an influence on the lyrical and thematic direction of the record, it’s not vital to one’s enjoyment or understanding. But it does signal one thing very clearly: Leaneagh has come into power on this record. She may have been front and center presence on Giving Up the Ghost, but Poliça co-founder and Ganygs leader Ryan Olsen appeared to be the driving force. Be it the result of increased comfort in the partnership or just the amount of shows the band has played, Shulamith feels more balanced.

One of the most notable changes is that there’s more variation in the band’s musical offerings. There are nice touches of late ‘80s goth-pop mixed in with trip-hop elements. And while Poliça’s debut was exceedingly down-tempo, on Shulamith they pick up the pace and even get a bit muscular at times. Part of that can be attributed to the contributions of the live band: bassist Chris Bierden and drummers Drew Christopherson and Ben Ivascu. Just as Leaheagh’s vocals are processed, the live instruments are sometimes treated in the same manner. The mix of live instrumentation and programmed parts make for an interesting blend where it’s not always apparent what is what, but that ambiguity is part of the charm.

However, the biggest change is the prominence of Leaneagh’s vocal performance. On Giving Up the Ghost, she was very much (no pun intended) a ghost in the machine. The distorted vocals served a purpose on that record, but there is an obvious attempt on Shulamith to be clear. The effects are still there, but used more sparingly or only to obscure specific portions of a song. Still, Leaneagh seems determined to get our attention, even if she has to whisper to do it. Shulamith is also more lyrical, where the previous record sometimes seemed to be groove-focused. It’s a nice progression and lends the record more staying power. While Poliça could have tread water, the leap forward on Shulamith shows it’s a band only beginning to peak.