Chairlift’s second full-length, Something, is a mess of retro synths and ’80s pop vocals perfect for the American Apparel crowd. The two-piece sounds like what you’d expect from a group that licenses its music to Apple: downtempo electronica that was probably made on a MacBook. Their minimalist aesthetic is most similar to the UK’s SBTRKT or a Jamie XX production. But what really draws listeners in on Something are the haunting vocals of singer Caroline Polachek. Originally created as a witch-house band, Polachek’s Morrissey meets Robert Smith meets Siouxsie Sioux ecstatic yelps and croons are the most emotional parts on an otherwise barren album.
This article appears in Feb 9-15, 2012.