welcome to her island

Caroline Polachek Soundtracks Your Valentine’s Day Yearning

Women love her, zoos fear her. Photo: Burak Cingi/Redferns

What do you desire this Valentine’s Day: a nice evening with your love? One night with that crush you can’t stop thinking about? Some fun with your friends, because who needs romance anyway? Caroline Polachek’s new album, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You — out today, Valentine’s Day — may not be able to give you any of that, but it can be the perfect soundtrack. For the lovers, there are the singles “Billions†and “Sunset,†or the long-awaited “Smoke†for that new infatuation (“And you are / melting everything about me,†she sings). For the longers, there’s obviously “Welcome to My Island,†on which Polachek howls the album title, or “Pretty in Possible,†where Polachek’s elastic upper register says it all. And for the ones who are just over it, you don’t need to go further than “Fly to You,†where Polachek teams with Grimes and Dido for a girls’ night in the recording studio. Maybe this is the best gift you could get this Valentine’s Day?

Caroline Polachek Soundtracks Your Valentine’s Day Yearning