Nathaniel Clark – A&E Editor

nuc5002@psu.edu

Caroline Polachek’s “Desire, I Want To Turn Into You” is a transformative odyssey that explores the deepest regions of the loving pop experience. 

After spending the majority of her career as a member of indie-pop group Chairlift and releasing material under pseudonyms, American singer-songwriter Caroline Elizabeth Polachek released her given name debut in 2019. Titled “Pang,” the album was a roaring success for the artist, landing on many publications’ year-end lists. 

Following the “Pang” tour’s sudden cancellation due to the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Polachek immediately began crafting the record’s follow-up. Enlisting frequent collaborator Danny L. Harle as main producer, the duo began crafting the record we now know as “Desire, I Want To Turn Into You.” 

The record’s creation and release have been tumultuous from an outside perspective. Based on all reports, the album went through various recording stints all over the world during the two years of production. According to Polachek, certain tracks took up to 19 months to finish. 

In conjunction with this confusing timeline have been the album’s singles. The first single, “Bunny Is A Rider,” was released back in July 2021. It then took seven months for the record’s next single, “Billions,” to be released. Another two singles would be released under the album’s announcement in December of 2022.

After such a tumultuous period, it is astounding that this record has seen the light of day and is excellent. 

The album opens with “Welcome To My Island.” Described by Polachek as her “brattiest song to date,” the song welcomes one and all into the singer’s new landscape. Starting with obtuse vocal harmonies and high-pitched yelps, the listener is then shown images of Polachek’s perfect utopia. Everything is not perfect though as in the third verse Polachek lets her internal anger release, leading to the water turning red. While that may sound off-putting to some, the song immediately gets back into its poppy groove as Polachek sings the album’s title in the chorus. 

Moving into “Pretty In Possible,” the listener is dropped into a completely different atmosphere. A comedown from the craziness of “Island,” this song feels like a calm and cool walk. Polachek lackadaisically swoons as she daydreams of her possible future. Similar to dreams, the singer’s vocals are lightly structured but free-flowing, leading from one thought to the next. 

With “Bunny Is A Rider,” one of the record’s key differences from past Polachek projects is revealed. Unlike the songs from “Pang” which were constantly moving, “Desire” feels more grounded and concrete. This lack of movement allows for a greater sense of place and atmosphere, letting the tracks build in artistic depth. 

Speaking of atmosphere, “Sunset” is one of the most off-kilter songs Caroline Polachek has ever released. Inspired by Ennio Morricone’s Spaghetti Westerns, the song takes on a heavy flamenco sound that feels completely disconnected from the rest of the record. Even with these differences and traditional lyricism, the song is an absolute bop that grooves for days.

After the energetic expanse that was “Sunset,” the record returns to another slow period with “Crude Drawing Of An Angel.” With sparse instrumentation and heavenly backing vocals, the song builds on the chorus as Polachek releases another one of her perfect high-pitched yelps. 

“I Believe” is a personal favorite. Dedicated to producer and friend SOPHIE, who passed away in January 2021, Polachek explores immortality. Stating on the fantastic chorus “We’ll get another day together,” the singer sounds adamant that one day the two will reunite. Joining with these beautiful lyrics is an excellent production job with assistance from Ariel Rechtshaid. 

“Fly To You” is the album’s largest track in scale. Featuring two heavyweights: Grimes and Dido, the song feels like a journey to comfort a lover. While all parties involved give great performances, Dido stands out with her verse. The way she flows on the breakbeat production feels so comforting and warm. Her contribution to the song’s outro adds another dimension to Dido’s amazing performance.

“Blood and Butter” was one of the most surprising production choices of the year so far. At 2:52, Polachek’s final chorus is suddenly greeted by the sound of bagpipes. While a left-field choice from any circumstance, the instrument works perfectly with the rest of the song. An unexpected but welcome addition to the track. 

After some more tracks, the album concludes with “Billions.” As I previously mentioned, one song on the record took 19 months to complete. This is that song, and every day was worth it. “Billions” is fantastic. Over warping and reversed instrumentals, Polachek’s words weave through the obscure and confusing. Discussing the ideals of abundance, it seems like Polachek is defining life as a billion-to-billion experience; with billions of people making billions of decisions. The song closes off with a contribution from the Trintion Croydon Choir. The group chants of “I never felt so close to you” send goosebumps throughout the listener, concluding the record. 

“Desire, I Want To Turn Into You” is a musical triumph. After over two years of creation, Caroline Polachek, Danny L Harle, and the record’s various collaborators have made a worthy follow-up to “Pang.” It feels like Caroline Polachek is at the top of her game.