Desire, I Want To Turn Into You. Released in 2023 on Valentine's Day, like a love letter to femininity and everything that is perfectly complicated. Written with a sensuality that feels so personal, it’s like sitting on the bed with your big sister as she’s relaying to you all of her secrets. Polachek has collaborated with some of the most iconic indie artists, including Blood Orange, Charli XCX, and even rapper Travis Scott. As a producer, she carried major weight, with credit on the track No Angel from Beyoncé’s self-titled album. Her sound is both experimental and self-assured. She’s an artist whose sound fluctuates with the seasons of her life, and who never restricts herself to genres or trends. Armed with a serenely entrancing voice, Polachek complements it with lyrics that feel carefully selected to deliver her oeuvre. She unleashes vocals that are unrestrained in a manner that perfectly matches the themes being explored across this project.
Opening the album is "Welcome to My Island," a song that is a riveting and declarative invitation. Friends new and old are welcomed by someone who has recently been taken to the harsh depths of her life and emerged with some plans of her own. This track is written with the same urgency that ebbs and flows throughout the album, but refuses to go unrecognized. Inspiring the title of the album itself, listeners are lured into Polachek’s world, strapping in for what will make up the rest of this musical journey. Up next, we get turbulent tracks like "Pretty Impossible" and "Sunset," as Polachek wants to cement her transformation into a focused storyteller. “These days I wear my body like an uninvited guest,” is a sharp but casual line before “'cause every spiral brings me back into your arms again.” Polachek writes with a clarity that allows every line to be understood. In Bunny Is a Rider, listeners are struck with a cheeky, assertive Polachek whistling playfully through the first verse, quickly opening up into a chorus emblazoned with an easy confidence that is simply addictive. Throughout the body of the album, momentum refuses to let up; every track is placed intentionally, creating a mosaic of confessionals and love letters.
Highlights like "Fly to You" (featuring Grimes and Dido) or the track "Smoke" are prime examples of Polachek’s ability to draw you into a realm dripping with powerful vocals and a resonance that flutters to the ears. The album's concluding song, "Billions", is reminiscent of what would play as the credits roll at the end of a movie. An ending where two lovers have locked arms as they wave goodbye from their ship sailing off into the distance. We return to the wistful lilting so quintessential to Polachek’s sound.The result is the bright bliss one feels at the end of a party. A feeling that lingers and persuades the listener to do it all over again. A project as self-assured and intentional as Desire, I Want To Turn Into You proves Polachek is a master of her craft. The otherworldly storytelling and dreamy vocals are uniquely hers. She created an atmosphere rich in her truth and meaning of the world. Each listen reveals a new perspective that may have been missed the first time. It is an album that is unreplicable. Polachek is a wonder to the ears, and whatever she decides to do next, we can expect nothing and everything.
