I only knew Caroline Polachek from her hit song So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings, and to be honest, she was not on my radar at all. But there was this one day where I ended up on the Wikipedia page for album releases in 2023, and happened to see that she was dropping an album, and with my album a day project going on, the pieces fell together. I spun Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, and Sunset caught my eye as my favourite of them all by a large margin.
In the midst of all the pristine art pop and unique art pop offerings, Sunset is a heavily flamenco-inspired traditional folk pop cut, driven by perfectly polished vocals and romantic instrumentation. The main melody layers are exquisite, beautifully complementing the sharp and centered vocals. The percussion work is on point, shaping the dynamics precisely without overpowering any focal elements.
Her vocals have been a focal point for most tracks, and this is no exception. She sounds surreal with a blend of an elegant tone and a mechanical rhythm, and her cadences are so much fun to listen to. When it gets to the oohings, she sounds borderline angelic. It's a great moment, and I'm glad they let it run for almost half the track. Letting it run alone with the percussion for a few measures before bringing back the instrumentation was a great choice too, letting it shine.
I love the soundscape, I think the production work on this is subtle but perfect, encapsulating the entire vibe of this imaginary ideal "riding into the sunset" romantic happy ending. The instrumentation choices, the melody choices, the vocal techniques, they all play their part in bringing this amazing song to life.
Caroline Polachek's presence in art pop is one I'm yet to fully comprehend, as the genre rarely intersects with my tastes, but it's undeniable that she has some seriously great music going on. Sunset remains a highlight of the year since I first listened to it (I know it came out last year, I'm late to the party, alright?), and it is such an addicting tune that I simply cannot see myself ever skipping it anytime soon, maybe ever.
Rating: 4.5/5
"Desire, I Want To Turn Into You" Album Cover