Send "Chairlift " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Bbc |
 Touting the same blend of 1980s synth-pop and Aquarian kitsch that propelled MGMT and Empire of the Sun towards the top of the charts in 2008, Chairlift stalled halfway up the banister to success with their debut of the same year, Does You Inspire You. Ironically, it was the nouveau-new age zealots at Apple that gave the Brooklyn-based group their biggest break to date, when first single Bruises was used to advertise the iPod Nano – an apposite choice of bedfellow, since the record’s genre-flipping felt a little too flimsy; too knowing to really linger in the memory.In the four-year downtime since Does You..., plenty’s changed on Planet Chairlift. Aaron Pfenning, who co-founded the group with girlfriend Caroline Polachek, quit the band after their relationship hit the rocks in 2010, threatening legal action when remaining members Polachek and Patrick Wimberly opted to soldier on under the moniker. An agreement between the three was eventually reached outside of court, clearing the way for a belated second album to surface. Far from being the expected hook-shy mope, however, Something does what so many of us fail to do when romantic endeavours go arse-over-tit. It offers a confident, head-held-high reappraisal of the band’s MO, with the newly-promoted Wimberly a more than capable foil for Polachek’s songwriting smarts....full text |
| Prettymuchamazing |
| Caroline Polachek, co-founder of Chairlift, described the band’s name in a 2009 interview like so: “a long slow panoramic trip over changing terrain.” On the band’s sophomore release, Something, that changing terrain comes into focus, finding a band known best for its 80s-pop optimism adopting a more contemplative approach. It’s by no means an endpoint for the band, but neither is it a sophomore slump. Polachek and Patrick Wimberly explore new ideas without losing their identity, crafting a lovely album in the process. Chairlift first hit the ears of masses with its boppy, DayGlo-tinted iPod commercial soundtrack tune, “Bruises.” “Evident Utensil,” another stand-out track from the band’s debut, features similarly synth-forward 80s revival pop. After hearing “Amanaemonesia,” the first single from the band’s latest release, Something, you couldn’t be blamed for expecting more of the same from the band. But somewhere between 2008’s success and 2012 follow-up (perhaps somewhere around the time co-founder Aaron Pfenning left the band to record with Rewards?) something happened. And thus, Something happened, bringing with it weightier subject matter and softer focus. “I lay my guts out on the table,” sings Polachek on “Wrong Opinion,” one of a handful of the album’s eleven tracks that seems like it may stem from her failed relationship with Pfenning. Elsewhere, on “Take It Out On Me,” it’s “Forget forgiveness, forget all the rules.” The latter track also features Polachek at her breathiest, letting her nimble and ambrosial voice do the heavy lifting rather than leaving it to the synths. Early Chairlift left you bopping in your seat. Something makes you think (a lot of the time about how great Polachek’s voice sounds). Partial credit for Polachek’s sound goes to deft handling by expert producers Dan Carey and Alan Moulder, who have produced a lush final product that pays homage to predecessors without slipping into retromaniacal throwback. Carey, whose touch is most evident, has turned knobs for the likes of Hot Chip, Franz Ferdinand, and CSS – all touchpoints that shine through at different moments of Something. Most importantly, they know when to step in and when to step back, giving the album a captivatingly varied complexion. It’s not all dance pop, even though tracks like “Amanaemonesia,” “Met Before,” and “Ghost Tonight” certainly prove Chairlift can still throw down a beat-bumping tune....full text |
| Pitchfork |
| Chairlift's second full-length, Something, is a major creative leap, but on a superficial level, it's not that different from their debut. They're still mining uncool and untapped corners of 1980s pop for inspiration, and singer Caroline Polachek has doubled down on a vocal style that alternates between joyfully expressive and charmingly deadpan. But the melodies are bolder, the arrangements have more snap and sparkle, and Polachek has thankfully moved beyond the first album's overly cerebral lyrics to embrace emotionally potent lines that explore the subtler dynamics of romantic relationships and the evolution of character. Of course, Chairlift aren't exactly the same group that broke into the outskirts of the mainstream when their 2008 hit "Bruises" found its way into an Apple ad. Founding member Aaron Pfenning split with the group after his romantic relationship with Polachek ended. (He now has an atmospheric disco project called Rewards.) Now a duo, Polachek and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Wimberly have a different chemistry. Wimberly, a producer on several Das Racist tracks, excels at composing slick music that retains force and physicality, which suits Polachek's voice and melodies. As a result, Something is cleaner and more elegant, buffing their crisp electronic pop to an immaculate sheen. Polachek's presence fades when the music gets too inert, but Chairlift turn that potential liability into a strength on two of Something's most beautiful tracks: On "Frigid Spring" and "Turning", she pushes her voice to a breathy, ethereal extreme. More often, though, her voice is lucid and assertive. She's excellent with subtle phrasing, selling wry lyrics without getting too smirky, and conveying infatuation without sounding overly elated. She's especially fond of Robert Smith-like exclamations, sometimes ending a key line with excited verbal punctuation. Her voice is technically proficient-- she sometimes recalls Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie-- but her main strength lies in how clearly her personality comes across in these songs. Whether she's giving voice to a maniac in "Sidewalk Safari" or gushing with love in "I Belong in Your Arms", Polachek sounds totally comfortable and in control....full text |
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