Arcadia

the take

My Favorite Albums of All Time #46: On her first solo venture outside of the duo Chairlift, Caroline Polachek builds a beautiful soundscape inspired by the likes of Aphex Twin and Oneohtrix Point Never that meshes seamlessly with her signature vocal style. The world this album builds is magical and beautiful, leaving the listener to get lost. A mix of both ambient and indie pop, this is the most underrated album from one of my favorite artists, and a must listen for any fan of hers or minimalist indietronica. This sound has aged incredibly well, and feels like a prototype for the sounds artists like Jane Remover and Underscores would experiment with in the 2020s decade. Must-Hear Tracks: Arcadia- The title track is essentially the mood-establisher in the tracklist, and is the first steps into the world Caroline explores on the album. With a lot of space between the vocals, the electronic elements really shine, and showcase just how great a producer she really is. Dominic- This is the one for Caroline Polachek fans who are just going back through her earlier catalog, as I feel this is the precursor to her solo projects going forward more than anything else here. This is basically all vocals, but the writing and inflections definitely set the framework for what's to come. Within the context of the album, the minimalist sound really works, with this feeling like the album's stylistic peak. I Love Our World- As with an album like this one, the outro is really important, just as the intro is. It's an instrumental, but it builds and grows in really interesting ways that really complete the journey we've been on over the course of the album. It's very reminiscent of another album outro for an entry higher on this list (you'll have to wait until #2) which she was no doubt inspired by for this song.