Caroline Polachek

2023 - 2 - 21

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Atwood Magazine"

Caroline Polachek Broadcasts From a Dazzling, Restless, & Often ... (Atwood Magazine)

On 'Desire, I Want to Turn into You,' the follow-up to 2019's 'Pang,' Caroline Polachek once again collaborates with producer Danny Harle to craft an ...

And I can roll my eyes at the aloofness of Polachek’s response in 2021 when asked who the titular “Bunny” is in “Bunny is A Rider” — that Bunny is, in fact, all of us, or in all of us, but maybe it is not as ridiculous as it first seems. But even with this sound that is ahead of itself in some respects, there are elements of contemporary popular music’s past that can be found on Desire — the inclusion of early ’90s “electronica” rhythms and percussion — drum and bass adjacent, in a number of places was a pleasant surprise, and in finally sitting down with Desire, and spending time with it as a whole — even the songs that I was perhaps a little less impressed by at first and still might be now, I noted the nod to trip-hop, or “trip hop lite” as I wrote down mere seconds after “Billions” began, that was reminiscent of mid-period Massive Attack. “Crude Drawing” is a moment on the album where Polachek is writing from a place that is quite surprisingly both direct, or at least easy to understand in a literal sense, but within the sense of loss and longing, there is an abstraction to the writing as well — where she reveals, cloaked in enough metaphor, just enough to follow along, but never gives away too much in terms of the who, or the where, or why there is, perhaps, such a sense of loss and longing here. It’s a strange line to walk, but it is one that Polachek does with grace — and it’s a subtle line that you, perhaps, might not even have noticed, because it has to do with a specific moment within “Smoke,” and the kind of feeling it evokes while it courses through you. Released a full calendar year prior to its position as the closing track on Desire, “Billions” was, much like “Bunny Is A Rider,” a song that I was more nonplussed by than I was anticipating. Though, what I think kept me at a distance with it, and is still keeping me at a distance, is that it is not as immediate, or urgent — emotionally speaking, specifically, but even to some extent, musically as well, as perhaps some of the material on Pang was for me. And while it beckons you, one more time, to flail and become lost in the atmosphere Polachek and her collaborators have created, “Smoke,” impressively, walks one more line between extremes that had not yet been explored in the course of the album — the space between sounding absolutely triumphant, and feeling terribly sorrowful. And there is, often, even in moments when a song can be seen as borderline minimalistic, a lot going on within a Caroline Polachek track — “Welcome to My Island” is no different, with the song being pulled in seemingly three different directions at once, between the robotic delivery of her vocals in the verses, the voluminous, dazzling heights the chorus soars to, and then the spoken, almost rapped, extended bridge that arrives near the song’s conclusion—it isn’t out of place. I realize that using the genre “World Music” is condescending and dismissive, and that describing something or someone as being “exotic” is problematic, but throughout Polachek’s canon, especially within the songs released ahead of Desire’s arrival in full. Released in the nebulous space of it being either a small glimmer into the shape of things to (eventually) come, or simply just a one-off (at the time, there was no clear answer as to which we were supposed to understand it to be), Pitchfork did, in fact, name Polachek’s 2021 jittery single, “Bunny Is A Rider” as their number one song of that year. “Bunny Is A Rider” is not a bad song, but was it the “best” from an entire calendar year of music? What I am uncertain of, though, is if there was a specific moment — a song, or artist, that was the impetus for this slow understanding and acceptance, and this shift in my level of tolerance and appreciation.

Music Review: Caroline Polachek captures shape-shifting love (Chicago Daily Herald)

Finally giving into the anticipation that has awaited since her 2019 album "Pang," Caroline Polachek greeted 2023 with "Desire, I Want To Turn Into You" on ...

To find our more, read our [FAQ](/info/comments/). Once a part of pop-group Chairlift of the early '00s, Polachek's been charging forward with her own sound, and "Desire, I Want To Turn Into You" proves her timeless relevance. Brìghde Chaimbeul's earthy bagpipe flourishes in multiple songs, and fellow artists Dido and Grimes collaborate in the fluttery "Fly to You."

REVIEW: Caroline Polachek's latest album welcomes listeners to ... (Hilltop Views)

Starting her music career in 2008 as the lead vocalist of Chairlift, Caroline Polachek showed she was not afraid to use her voice. Her vast range and keen ...

Featuring Grimes and Dido, “Fly to You” has a different sound compared to the rest of the tracks on the album. This song“Bunny Is a Rider” is an escape to a non-pandemic world where you’re free from expectation: “Bunny is a rider / satellite can’t find her.” Polachek gets you to relate to the general desire for lust and love in a new, cut-off world.

Caroline Polachek's 'Desire, I Want To Turn Into You' is a Stylistic ... (Daily Utah Chronicle)

On Feb. 14, Caroline Polachek released her latest album, “Desire, I Want To Turn Into You.” Polachek started her music career in 2005 in a duo named ...

“A lot of the motifs I’m playing with on this record are about using elemental, primal textures […] as a metaphor for the subconscious and for everything we’ve repressed during the pandemic,” she said. Although the instrumentals in the more pop-forward songs are a bit assertive for my liking, it fits well with the songs and style as a whole. Polachek uses references to Greek mythology, Christianity, Hinduism and Shakespeare’s sonnets in her lyrics to display a wide range of emotions and coping mechanisms when faced with loss. “ It’s a great starting point for those who want to listen to more indie music but enjoy the peppy and catchy vibes of those like The control she holds over her breath and her pitch creates an eerie yet angelic quality to her music that can bring a tear to anyone’s eye. Since then, she has amassed over 3 million monthly listeners on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Ge8xMJNwt6EEXOzVXju9a), as well as over 124,000 subscribers on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_YiGpMGuBb1PbjqPQMf9MQ). Following “ [Welcome To My Island](https://open.spotify.com/track/4bp2wYweUPvsBrQfntdYcr?si=48d6401b454a4ea9),” “ [Pretty In Possible](https://open.spotify.com/track/4Q5LWPIKCuV6LRdDeqOYM7?si=a652a056a21949ac)” and “ [Bunny Is A Rider](https://open.spotify.com/track/40tRJ8bMkIkXh8vhHKQsoX?si=59e82d0e130d4591),” however, is “ [Crude Drawing Of An Angel](https://open.spotify.com/track/77ySu72hStpWbl3EZZiXzJ?si=f8bde2dd3c314866).” This is where the tone really shifts, moving into something that feels more like if [Phoebe Bridgers](https://open.spotify.com/artist/1r1uxoy19fzMxunt3ONAkG) were a siren with a forbidden love affair. While it’s no uncommon practice for musicians these days, autotune can take away from the genuine nature of an artist’s talents. [Smoke](https://open.spotify.com/track/2x8zUjRP6z5N2GmZ13zU76?si=5af7d3fba0954c0f),” that the aforementioned pop elements of Polachek’s music are restored, bringing the listener in a full loop back to the beginning of the album by the time they reach closing track, “ [Billions](https://open.spotify.com/track/4JPF8Te7Jo3AuI2vKqrRUV?si=b41605c593534fd3).” The flow of one song into another is masterful, and nothing feels out of place when they are listened to in order. [Caroline Polachek](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroline_Polachek) released her latest album, “ [Desire, I Want To Turn Into You](https://open.spotify.com/album/22PkV1Le9P3X4RY4xtmK0q).” Polachek started her music career in 2005 in a duo named “ [Chairlift](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chairlift_(band))” with [Aaron Pfenning](https://open.spotify.com/artist/0HSx2w50lqyijAPfguYpxf), but branched off into her solo career in 2017.

Experience the fairy vibes with 'Desire, I Want To Turn Into You' (Indiana Daily Student)

Caroline Polachek's sophomore album released on Valentine's Day solidifies her status as a pop music icon.

“Billions” is the perfect album closer. The next three songs, “Hopedrunk Everasking,” “Butterfly Net” and “Smoke,” make me feel like I’m living inside a fairy garden. “Blood And Butter” is my pick for the best song on the album. Polachek’s inclusion of acoustic instruments adds to the blurred lines between acoustic and electric, especially with the Spanish-style guitar in “Sunset.” She sings of an inescapable love, adding to the perpetual summer vibes of the album. The overlap of their verses makes it feel like sirens swimming past each other in the water, uniting at the end to close it out. The album opens with “Welcome To My Island,” which has already been remixed by experimental pop queen Charli XCX and the 1975 drummer George Daniel.

Caroline Polachek is working on a song for A24 - RUSSH (RUSSH)

WORDS Jahlia Solomon PHOTOGRAPHY Instagram PUBLISHED Wed, 22 Feb 2023 - 12:18 pm. Caroline-polachek. If like us the new Caroline Polachek album has got you ...

If you're itching for your next A24 watch, [The Idol ](https://www.russh.com/the-idol-trailer/)is coming around sooner than you think. [interview](/tag/interview/) with [Vulture](https://www.vulture.com/article/caroline-polachek-desire-new-album-profile.html) when describing what she gets up to in [London](/tag/london/) before she goes on tour. [Grimes](https://www.russh.com/grimes-dion-lee-spring-summer-campaign/) and Dido is becoming dangerously close).

Caroline Polachek Remains Ethereal and Enigmatic on Latest ... (The College Reporter)

Aided in part by a slew of remixes and features by other experimental pop artists, Polachek's elusive lyrics and boundless charisma elevate her latest album ...

The one track that really doesn’t work for me is “Fly To You,” the only song on the album that includes featured artists, which are Grimes and Dido. Additionally, the use of strings throughout the album, especially on “Pretty In Possible” is another element that fuses the artistic sensibilities of pop with more unconventional instrumentation. Other tracks like “Blood and Butter” highlight Polachek’s voice and creatively use unexpected instrumentation such as bagpipes in the outro, which is, in my opinion, the best use of bagpipes since Bright Eyes’s “Persona Non Grata.” I decidedly have a soft spot for Polachek’s outros, with the layered vocals and bursts of synths and spoken word on “Smoke” helping propel that song to be another favorite. Polachek’s backing vocals add depth to the performance, alongside other engaging production decisions such as panning to the extreme right of the mix for the spoken phrase “bunny is a rider” right before the second verse. “Bunny Is A Rider” is also buoyed by what can best be described as a distorted laugh, alongside a pulsing bassline that carries through the track. Released on February 14, 2023, and preceded by five singles—Bunny Is A Rider, Billions, Sunset, Welcome To My Island, and Blood and Butter—Desire, I Want To Turn Into You is a captivating, alluring album that demonstrates Polachek’s impressive vocal talent and endless pop experimentation.

Caroline Polachek's 'Desire, I Want to Turn Into You' explores the ... (Tufts Daily)

You would not expect most modern pop artists to include bagpipes, operatic influences and a guest verse from Grimes on the same album, but for Caroline ...

The last songs of the album provide a bit of resolution, as the singer resolves to channel her desires in ways that bring her closer to others. “Go forget the rules, forget your friends / Just you and your reflection,” Polachek sings in an escapism anthem that could be seen as empowered or desperate. “Down in the deep end I can’t be left alone,” Polachek sings. Starting with “Crude Drawing Of An Angel,” the album turns mournful, describing drawing a picture of her love interest as they sleep, worried that they’ll leave her. In an interview with The Guardian, Polachek said: “This state of migration and stress and mortality … Caroline Polachek started releasing music in 2008 as part of the indie rock band Chairlift and also made various solo projects under the names Ramona Lisa and CEP.

Desire, Caroline Polachek wants to turn into you // The Observer (Observer Online)

It's the intellectual pop album of the summer. Written at the base of Mount Etna in Sicily, the album's atmosphere reflects the place of its conception. The ...

“Blood and Butter” is the thesis of the album. [mythological silver chord](https://genius.com/27802747) that connects the higher self and the physical body. With Polachek’s impressive vocals and precise artistic vision, this release might go down as album of the year and it’s only February. It’s a joyous celebration about staying true to herself and the truest love of her life — her art. As she sings, “Look at how I forget who I was / Before I was the way I am with you,” I wonder if the pleasure of desire is worth the pain of losing yourself. The bass and Polachek’s angelic voice — the only two constants in the beginning — get crowded out by a wild electric guitar and a children’s choir singing, “Oh, I never felt so close to you!” The transition suggests that desire is the driving force behind both greed and charity. “Blood and Butter” is desire. Lines like “Hand it over, broker / Give me the closure” and “Cornucopeiac / Yeah, my cup overfloweth” evoke excess (“ In “Blood and Butter,” she asks how far this “desire as charity” thing can go. It’s the euphoria of love and the shadow of heartbreak. [running into the arms of your lover on the beach](https://youtu.be/U8KdhW4nJRI). Then, the scope snaps back to Polachek as her voice goes from lyrical to rhythmic, rapping “Go forget the rules and forget your friends / Just you and your reflection.” Her bel canto operatic training and [indie-pop lyricism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chairlift_(band)) help her hit soaring notes as she introduces listeners to the expanse of the album: Here’s my island where I am [totally in charge, yet totally isolated](https://genius.com/Caroline-polachek-welcome-to-my-island-lyrics).

Caroline Polachek Remains Ethereal and Enigmatic on Latest ... (The College Reporter)

By Lexi Weaver || Copy Editor. Prolific singer, songwriter, and producer Caroline Polachek has returned with her latest project under her own name: Desire, ...

Caroline Polachek is working on a song for A24 - RUSSH (RUSSH)

WORDS Jahlia Solomon PHOTOGRAPHY Instagram PUBLISHED Wed, 22 Feb 2023 - 12:18 pm. Caroline-polachek. If like us the new Caroline Polachek album has got you ...

Caroline Polachek's 'Desire, I Want to Turn Into You' is surrealist pop ... (Daily Californian)

Overflowing with genius-level musicality and inquiry into feminine desire, the LP intellectually stimulates yet remains entertaining and danceable — well ...

“Fly to You” is the only low point of the album. Lacking the dynamic variation of its neighbors and featuring a melody that is blah at best, “Fly to You” stands out like a sore thumb in an otherwise brilliant record. The album’s closer, “Billions,” paints an uncanny picture of abundance, presenting listeners with a poetic dissection of an artist’s duality (“Psycho, priceless/ Good in a crisis/ Working the angles/ Oh, billions”). “Blood and Butter” tells a familiar story of star-crossed lovers and spotlights a descent into codependency alongside an earworm-inducing chorus (“Look how I forget who I was/ Before I was the way I am with you”). “Bunny is a Rider,” a fitting introduction to the record that was to come, tells a whimsical story of a woman (Bunny) escaping the monotony of her daily life. Following a two-year rollout of singles, with “Bunny is a Rider” released in summer 2021, Polachek’s sophomore record, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You, has cemented her position as a pioneering solo act.

Caroline Polachek

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