Album Review: Desire, I Want To Turn Into You: Everasking Edition by Caroline Polachek

By Cecelia Moore

Music Journalist

Caroline Polachek has had a whirlwind year. With a new album release, a world tour and scoring her first Grammy nomination, the former Chairlift vocalist turned solo artist is just getting started. On the one-year anniversary of her critically acclaimed sophomore album, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, Polachek unveiled the extended version, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You: Everasking Edition, closing out the era. The Everasking Edition gives listeners seven new tracks, including covers and new renditions of “I Believe” and “Butterfly Net.” Polachek’s world-building is exemplified in this release, and these bonus tracks are just as dynamic, powerful and unique as the original album.

“Spring Is Coming With A Strawberry In The Mouth” is an impossible track to skip. Covering the original song by Operating Theatre, Polachek puts her fantastical twist on it, fitting perfectly in her finely crafted world. The song is spoken in the format of a letter, later building into an upbeat chorus representing the hope of spring on its way. Polachek adds her own chorus from “Blood And Butter” in the same spoken style, with a momentary callback to “Bunny Is A Rider” on a fittingly-80s synth. The track fits perfectly with the volcanic motifs surrounding the album, ending with the lyrics “And that cinders always remain / Where there was once a fire.” This track is an intricately beautiful piece, filled with self-references and the ferocity used to birth the original twelve tracks. Polachek is constantly pushing boundaries, and this song is no exception.

Polachek played with reimagining some of the songs on the album, including the ultra-synthy and upbeat “I Believe.” After performing an acoustic rendition for her NPR Tiny Desk Concert, she added “I Believe – Acoustic Version” to the album. The song was written in dedication to the late SOPHIE, who was a friend and inspiration to Polachek, stating that she was “the complete embodiment of a contemporary diva,” to People magazine. The arrangement brings an entirely new quality to the song, slightly eerie yet incredibly intimate. Polachek sings “I don’t know but I believe / We’ll get another day together,” portraying the hope and love that remain despite losing someone so close to you, and how those feelings are exemplified in their absence. Once again, Polachek proves she is a master of mood, cultivating entirely new atmospheres in the same melody and lyrics.

Within the covers and new renditions, Polachek still produced three new, original tracks titled “Meanwhile,” “Gambler’s Prayer,” and the single “Dang.” Polachek never shies away from perplexing yet vibe-curating lyrics, opening “Dang” with “Pull up like a shipwreck in reverse, yeah, I do.” “Dang” is Polachek at her best, most authentic self, sampling herself screeching among geese in place of a bridge. The chorus only consists of muffled speaking, with Polachek repeating “dang” as the rhythmic, synthetic drums trill away. “Dang” is a wonderful introduction to Polachek’s music, full of entrancing melodies, esoteric lyrics, and original rhythms.

If you’ve yet to break into Caroline Polachek’s island, now is the time. Her creative spirit is one that only comes around once in a generation, breaking boundaries and taking her career into her own hands. She is the definition of a pop diva in 2024 and will be cited as an inspiration, a trailblazer and one-of-a-kind for decades to come.