Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You ALBUM REVIEW 

Crude Drawing of an Angel might be my favorite track, it's just so powerful with its sparseness. Pretty In Possible sounds so fresh and also like it has existed for 25 years, it's so well done. Butterfly Net is just one giant flex. Bunny is a Rider and Billions are killer singles. This whole album rules.

Bunny is a Rider is actually a mini-masterpiece of word play & rhythmic games...it's so good & addictive!

This woman's voice glides like butter

First Paramore gets a 8/10 and now Caroline. The world is truly healing

Great album, very brave of her to admit she wants to turn into Desiigner

Felt like a 9 to me. First time I've heard her and it was spectacular

I can't be the only one craving a classic Imogen Heap record but Caroline is the only one making it.

Caroline finally got up that ladder on Pang and now's on a subway.

JUST WITH THAT ALBUM COVER, WE ALL KNOW SHE WILL SLAY

also, Caroline said that ‘I believe’ was a track dedicated to SOPHIE Xeon 💜

Fun fact: the guy with the baby in the background of the album cover is Danny Harle, long-time producer of Polacheks. Amazing, transportative album, immersive in the way Titanic Rising and Have You In My Wilderness are, good company to keep.

I’d give this a 9. Best pop album in years.

modern pop has no business sounding this good, especially in the current sea of vomit. easily, and definitely, a 9/10.

Not surprised by the strong 8 at all: it's her moment. She's a rare state of eudaemonia, with lots of experience and enough groundbreaking ideas as to paint the picture she truly wants to deliver. She's fun, talented, unique, crazy and fresh, quite effervescent, I'm always listening to her lately since she brightens my day. That Island track, alone, was a fantastic sign of what was to come. Been loving her since Chairlift, though.

i really liked crude drawing tbh. there’s something about the minimal structure that makes the production take center stage, which i think really does a good job of capturing that “synthetic but somehow worldly and mystical” quality. It kind of reminded me of both Goblin and their work for Suspiria (with those low booming bass sounds) and the White Lotus soundtrack with the bird calls.

'blood and butter' just blew my brain, i listened to it for days on repeat... I don't know how it works. I can hear a track and it won't hook me. but if I listen to it a few more times I become simply obsessed with it

I actually got to hear this album 4 days before its release on the start of her tour, as she was playing the album live for everyone and she wanted to get peoples reactions before it dropped on the fourth show of the tour, and her vocals are down right out of this world heard live, I don’t think the studio version does her voice, any justice to how truly amazing it is

I was like omg is he gonna give her a 9!? Towards the end and then You Let Me Down Again Anthony 😭 it’s a 10 actually!! Pretty sure this is the only music ever released!

Glad you came around on 'Sunset'. It's legit the best song on the album.

Caroline on Crude Drawing of an Angel “‘Crude Drawing of an Angel’ was born, in some ways, out of me thinking about jokingly having invented the word ‘scorny’-which is scary and horny at the same time. I have a playlist of scorny music that I'm still working on and I realised that it was a tone that I'd never actually explored. I was also reading John Berger's book on drawing [2005’s Berger on Drawing] and thinking about trace-leaving as a form of drawing, and as an extremely beautiful way of looking at sensuality. This song is set in a hotel room in which the word ‘drawing’ takes on six different meanings. It imagines watching someone wake up, not realising they're being observed, whilst drawing them, knowing that's probably the last time you're going to see them.” The lyrics to this song turn the concept of "drawing" into a scene; to draw the bath, draw the curtains, draw the blood... All in preparation to actually draw someone who's asleep and slowly waking up, slowly becoming conscious that they are being observed. It was time to contribute my own to the genre. The fretless bass in this one is actually digital, it was meant just as a sketch, but Danny L Harle and I loved it so much we couldn't replace it. This album has a lot of blurred lines between acoustic and digital - we didn't think about it much, all that matters is the feeling. Between the verse and the chorus, I wanted the lead vocal to "leave the room", go next door to wail in the bathroom, then come back and sing the chorus while looking you dead in the eyes. Singing and drawing are really the same thing, it's a line in space instead of time.

Her vocals are unmatched, and even better live ❤

Smoke only got an off handed mention but personally it’s my favourite track, it’s fantastic. Soaring and transcendental, I just love where she went on it. The grimes and Dido feature was also really standout.

Yeah I love this album, there’s something v thoughtful about making an album about turning into desire itself, at the beginning of the influencer flop era. Similarly I’m really enchanted by her pushing her vocals to emulate the texture of auto-tune. It’s like conceptually she has been presented with modernity - a world full to bursting of synthetic, over-polished beauty - and instead of feeling the exhaustion or repulsion the rest of us seem to experience in the face of modernity. DIWTTIY reflects and refracts all the yearning that’s driving modernity, saying the yearning itself is beautiful.

I honestly feel like this is Caroline Polachek's best album so far.

As much as I miss her in Chairlift, her solo work has been phenomenal.

thought he would have more to say about smoke, kinda bummed he only mentioned it in passing. my fav track on the album, and I love how the last verse borrows the vocal melody from pretty in possible

This album is 100% the best of the 2020s.

I am so happy that *Sunset* going from "meh" to his FAVOURITE. It should be "Bunny is a rider" too. After a few listen, when you get used to the weird elements she infused it with. It became so addictive!!

It’s amazing. Caroline’s voice is insanely good and the production somehow matches it. Strong 9

i really didn’t think this record could match the euphoria that pang delivered but she proved me wrong. she and danny are truly one of the best songwriting duos we have right now. i’m so grateful to have her music in my life 🐇❤️

She is incredibly good live. Highly recommend seeing her if you get the chance.

a potential album of the year for me and it's just february 🥲

I do be wanting to turn into desire at times

Didn’t think I would like this until I heard the BBC 6 Music session on Mary Anne Hobbs show. My god she’s got some talent. Have preordered the album on vinyl. Looking forward to it!

Much better than MGK's "Weed, I Want To Turn Into You"

Caroline was one of my most listened artists last year solely with pang and all the singles dropped. Im relieved that this album was as good as expected

Sunset is the La Isla Bonita of the 2020s

I already know Sunset will be playing on repeat this summer. Such an addictively beautiful track.

No cause she was so real for this! Like Bunny IS a rider! 💅😌✨🐇

personally still feel like billions is the best track on here. i dont know what she put in that track but i love it dearly

Such an amazing, fun album. I’ll never get tired of her voice

i really admire the way some parts of this album nods to her early days a little - that easy, innocent and comforting late 90s-2000s indie pop that chairlift debuted in, coexisting with frou frou that you can hear influences from and of course, getting dido onto a track. i’d be really happy if more artists catch up with a 2000s guy sigworth production revival the way disco pop music has recently. there’s no clash with her current avant-futuristic sound but a beautiful blend. she is a master of what she does

love how the bagpipes in blood in butter is just grimes’ verse in fly to you, just pitched differently. we love a self-referential queen

Crude Drawing of an Angel is for sure my favorite song. Blood and Butter, and Billions are my favorite singles for sure.

Yes! I honestly love it as a full-listen. The sound feels like a dreamy, sensual, heated greco-romanesque ancient world vs nowness sunburn through a Synthpop, almost 00's Trance haze-like feeling. "Art Teacher on vacation with a slight heatstroke in the south of spain, but still slay." Hard to pinpoint, your comparisons were spot on, tho. Tracks like "Welcome to my Island" and "Billions" are the heavy hitters, but "Smoke" is very alluring to me.

Why is it surprising that she collaborated with her fellow sirens (Grimes x Dido) THO?! It totally made sense for me and it's my favorite!

Her voice is just too angelic. I love the bagpipes and the grimes and dido features. Fly to you, Sunset and Welcome to my island are my faves. I wanna know what those little recording bits in Crude Drawing are from.

I want a Caroline and Anthony fantano interview ASAP

Really fun album, I would give it a Mother/10

This album is fireeeeeee, I think I'm equally in love or even more then Pang

Best of the year so far by a huge margin - not heard a better solo release - male or female - since 2015 Julia Holter

Did anyone pick up that Anthony's note in the beginning is the same note she sings on desire in welcome to my island.

A win for musical world building, for sure.

Bunny is a Rider have much the same sparcity to it as When Doves Cry, nothing unfinished about it. It was my most played song last year, one of the last 15 years' most played songs to me actually. Now, Pretty In Possible and I Believe are both amongst my most played songs in adult life, one week after album release. Album is genius, and it gets better with every listen. 10/10 here

Instant classic territory imo

Great record. Exciting, most songs sound different, some 2000s and 80s radio pop vibes, awesome vocals (though too much processing for my taste, since she's so god damned good she doesn't need it but I get the aesthetic), adventurous production. Kate Bush vibes vocally at points, Bjork in there too. I love this era of music, we are lucky to be getting such interesting fusion and great production these past few years.

Without fail, your least fav track is always my favorite track 😭 love your reviews and hearing your thoughts!

how tf crude drawing of an angel his least favorite 💀💀😭😭

do skrillex’s new album “guest for fire” ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

about "crude drawing of an angel" caroline said: "between the verse and the chorus I wanted the lead vocal to ""leave the room"", go next door to wail in the bathroom, then come back to sing the chorus while looking you dead in the eyes." oh my.. It's one of my favorites on the album. but the whole thing is so good it really does feel like I love every track equally..

Incredible voice. She played a set on Radio 6 recently and I could not believe it was live. Just amazing. Great record.

ngl I was expecting a 9 but I agree. absolutely fantastic album.

this album is what the term "pop bible" was created for

No comment on sunset basically being the gerudo valley music from ocarina of time? Also nothing on Crude drawing of an Angel? Smh my head I saw her at the weekend and oh my god if you get the chance 100% go she's amazing

Great album, 8.9/10. I Believe, Smoke and Butterfly Net are my favourites.

Did anyone else spot Danny L Harle and his little kid on the album cover! So cute

FLY TO YOU is personally my favorite pop song of 2023 so far, Grimes' vocals mesh so well together with Caroline's towards the end of the track

can we talk about the pipes in blood and butter because 🗣🗣🗣 i love when folk meets avant-garde

Crude Drawing of an Angel best song of all time

i'm convinced anthony does not know about the number 9

Pang: the plane album Desire: the train album

She wrote I Believe for Sophie 🥺

Totally agree with Anthony's high rating, but I feel he really glossed over the brilliance of the finale track "Billions." It's a mourning, haunting sojourn and provides closure to the fantasy world, dream-state created throughout the album using an allusion to rapacious resource extraction-induced climate change as our 'exit stage left.' Billions, to me, draws upon Dionysus (Greek god of fruitfulness), the cornucopia (allusion to plentifulness and nourishment), and overflowing wine as metaphors for how our planet is tragically being exploited and destroyed for the very attribute it affords: life and abundance. Just my $0.02 :)

All I can picture is Melon under a waterfall washing his dome. Just me?

I know it's early days but one of my favourite albums of the year so far. Would love to hear your thoughts on the new Raye album too!

Billions makes me cry it’s so beautiful

I’m so glad you rated this well, I’m obsessed with this album.

crude drawing is so good idgaf

I just saw her live and my god, I will never be the same.

i really really love this album, its already so meaningful to me and i cant wait to watch it grow

"desire, I want to turn into you"? Anthony, you took the words straight out of my mouth. I was just about to say the same

From the first time I listened to this album I got hooked, and now I'm plainly obsessed by everything she's done. I can't get enough of listening to her.

Crude drawing of an angel was my favorite track 🥲

SHE SLAYED

Should have been a 9

i was at the first show of her tour last week, was lucky enough to be one of the first to hear most of these songs

Lowkey 9 to 10 imo respect the praise though

I also loved this one. Pang in 2019 was great but this album is even better.

How can you say that about Bunny Is A Rider? It's disgusting how much I have listened to it, it's addictive 😂

deserved 9 or 10 tbh

Crude Drawing of an Angel being the best song on the album actually & Hopedrunk Everasking not in favourites.. . but I will give you a pass just this time x

This was a really good listen. I actually had to listen to this a few times to understand what was happening with the production. Hopefully they'll release in the future some sort of behind the scenes documentary explaining the process of the production in this album and how did she came up with such creative lyrics for the melodies on it. It is really nice to hear such creative production on a project of this calibre of songwriting.

it’s a 9 for me. just so good.

She's the most interesting artist of the moment

Fly To You is the one track I was worried about and it turned out to be my favorite song of the year so far. Unbelievably good album.

Her Copenhagen show was magical! ✨

first time hearing about her thanks to Melon, bro this album is just amazing! easy 9/10

such a cool album cover

Bunny is a Rider is one of the best songs of the decade. Like no joke, may be this decade's Run Away With Me. 9/10 awesome artpop project.

I've been addicted to this album for months. Crude Drawing of An Angel is ethereal vocals. It sounds like a 90s Bond track but her vocals bring the song alive. Bunny is A Rider is my dance jam. Mystical Escapism is how I'd define the sound of this album. It's pure art at play. ❤