Chairlift - Something
- By Matthew Laidlow -
- Feb 10, 2012
Remember Chairlift? You should do, well if you happen to be one of the people who take great care into sourcing the music used in various television adverts. Back in 2008, the band was used to soundtrack the campaign for the iPod Nano. Amazingly, it didn’t break them, but no doubt they’d have benefited from the royalty payments for experimenting further with equipment and studio hire.
Caroline Polachek is on vocal duty for Chairlift and it’s her performance which steals the show for the band. Being compared to anyone can sometimes be seen as a positive, though it can be seen as a hindrance. Lazy tagging can often result in comment such as “have you heard that person? She sounds just like…” Throughout the album, there’s a varied arrangement of songs and this calls for a change in vocal. Strangely, more people are calling for an album that offers something different and challenging, not just the same generic sound. With music ever-changing, formulas for success can be gone in an instant.
Bearing that in mind, there are fragments of pop, rock, synth and somewhere in the mix, a hint of ballad – but without over the top piano chords. With such a varying style, it might sometimes be difficult to have a full listen of ‘Something’ but perhaps a listeners mood can find a specific track to fit the mood. ‘Ghost Tonight’ is a stormy little number that reminds of mischief and curiousity, almost like someone was exploring somewhere that they shouldn’t be. With such visual illusions triggered in the mind, videos for anything from Chairlift definitely give directors a lot to play with.
From haunting and sharp bursts, it can all change in an instant. Songs such as ‘Frigid Spring’ don’t even appear to be from the same band as the electronics are gone to be replaced for completely different tools. Whilst this particular track is heavy on the acoustics, the gentle strumming and abstract vocals make for a hazy style song that could easily see Chairlift get used on yet another TV advert or movie soundtrack piece.
The oxymoron chart goes off the scale for ‘Cool As A Fire’ which is one of the stronger songs on ‘Something.’ The lazy and almost invisible beat combines with an equally light acoustic which combined with an astounding vocal from Polachek, makes for a song that will capture the imagination of those who go to attend a live show of the band. End of the review dodgy pun alert:
For music lovers, there is Something for everyone on this album. For a captivating musical performance and strong varied vocal, it’s all here.
7/10
By Matthew Laidlow. Blogs at hecklerspray and tweets at MatthewLaidlow
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