Caroline Polachek Loves and Obsesses on New Album Announcement

Although December may be a quieter month for album releases overall, the announcement of new projects is what sustains us until the months of plenty. And now, we can add Caroline Polachek’s new album, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You to that list. And what better release date than Feb. 14? Happy day of love, indeed. With the release announcement comes new single “Welcome To My Island,” released on an EP with previously released singles “Sunset,” “Billions” and “Bunny Is A Rider,” perhaps hinting at their presence on the forthcoming album.

Polachek’s pure and piercing vocals arc over the intro to the song, becoming a scream that explores a range of octaves. Electric guitars mix in for the artist’s signature sound, with elements of hyperpop, choral music and supporting undertones of indie rock. With a number of producers—Dan Nigro (who worked with Polachek before on her break out track “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings”), Danny L Harle, A. G. Cook, Jim E-Stack and Polachek herself—the track is a mix of flavors, most of them distinctly Polachek. Nigro’s experience working with Olivia Rodrigo on Sour shows through during Polachek’s muted rap vocals, but classically, the singer manages to make the piece feel entirely hers. The lyrics remain repetitive, but the best line is luckily highlighted as the album’s title, “Desire / I want to turn into you.” In this line, she captures the depth of her love (or lust, with “desire” straddling the line between both), her wish to take off who she is and don the being of another. The tone bounces between deeply in love and claustrophobically obsessive, with that wry twist of humor that marks Polachek’s lyricism. And when Polachek sings “Flew / The ocean blue,” she truly does sound like she’s taking off.

You can find the album cover below.