Does You Inspire You

Chairlift, Chairlift | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 30, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Kanine Records
• ASIN: B001EAWN8C
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #130,198 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Chairlift's ascent owes itself to an Apple commercial: "Bruises," an 80s-reminiscent pop stunner that might have helped hawk more Nanos than Feist’s "1234," wraps itself around the brain with the kind of might that could turn any body part black and blue. But the grip's not quite as deathly on the rest of Does You Inspire You, the Brooklyn band's debut; thought-provoking is a better descriptor. "Planet Health," a sprawling, sly peep at formal health education, pokes fun at a multitude of national preoccupations including body image and diversity training before wending its way to a mini-chorus of "Stop, drop and roll" (don’t forget fire prevention!), and "Evident Utensil"--a song about pencils--does the thinking person's indie music fan the favor of abstractly linking writing implements to difficult personal relationships (fodder, for sure, for deep thought). Vocally, Caroline Polachek owes Kate Bush a formal letter of thanks for leading the way, but the similarities end there. Chairlift is an idiosyncratic band with its own synthy yet nostalgic style, and its members have a lot to say. Does You Inspire You is maybe the grammatically incorrect question the trio directed at itself before heading into the studio; the thoroughly cool record that resulted proves the answer was a riotous yes. --Tammy La Gorce

Product Description

Formed in Boulder, CO, Chairlift's star has been on the rise since their relocation two years ago to Brooklyn. While the trio frequently shares the live stage with groups like Yeasayer and MGMT, their sound is wholly unique to the local scene. Fronted by Caroline Polachek, whose soulful vocals bring to mind both Kate Bush and Chan Marshall, the band artfully fuses whimsical electro-pop with folk and tasteful psychedelic imagery. Fresh off a full tour with Ariel Pink, they're about to hit the road again this fall with Yeasayer!

Recent press has been strong and the band have recently been featured in a new iPod Nano commercial.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars inspiring, to say the least., July 26, 2008

By 

Selma Jezkova - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Does You Inspire You (MP3 Download)

at last, the highly anticipated and much hyped debut from brookyln trio chairlift is here. having been reviewed, blogged and talked about, everybody has attempted to compare chairlift to other artists--and they've all failed. no bands that i've heard in recent years have effectively melded such a lush blend of synthy goodness with startlingly beautiful vocals the way chairlift has. lyrics range from exceedingly clever ("planet health" is an homage to middle school health class) to warm and moving ("somewhere around here") to haunting ("ceiling wax") to completely absent ("chameleon closet").

of course, perhaps comparing chairlift to other bands is so futile because it's difficult to even compare chairlift to chairlift. no two songs on "does you inspire you" have a similar feel. slick opener "garbage" has tastes of bossa nova but then carries into a new pornographers-esque chorus before fading seamlessly into "planet health," studded with a bass riff which easily could have been sampled from a depeche mode single. here caroline's vocals reach a judy garland level of richness, merging spectacularly into patrick and aaron's tropical dreamy haze. "earwig town" is towering synth at its finest, with caroline and aaron singing a spooky precautionary duet in perfectly matched, chesty vocals.

"bruises," certain to be the dance hit of the album, is laden with addictively catchy pop riffs, but refrains from being too sweet by being smoothed over with icy synth dreams in the tradition of broadcast or john maus. "somewhere around here" is chilly and langorous, yet the vocals warm it into something eerily beautiful. "evident utensil" is brimming with 80's energy but is refreshed by absurdist vocals and heavy, toe-tapping bass.

"territory" could perhaps best be described as what might happen if anthony gonzalez of M83 composed music in the grand canyon during a thunderstorm. this song positively drips with epic synthgaze and cocteau twins-esque vocals, forming a powerful wash of sound punctuated with cowbell and flawlessly understated drumming. "make your mind up" presents us with with vocally aggressive skips which would make karen o blush, yet the instrumentals have a laidback, r&b smoothness to them. "don't give a damn" is heavily inflected with a country melancholy with a healthy touch of irony, but is nonetheless heartbreaking with shiveringly distant vocals.

"cactus palace" is a searing instrumental interlude. appropriately named, it evokes a hazy, dreamlike stupor, spiked with prickly trumpet from an alien spaceship, dripping into a mirage of chimes as it releases the listener into the haunting "ceiling wax," in which caroline quietly tells us that her time has come, her day is done, and through the echoes we can hear just a touch of wist. here we come to the end of a journey through a series of imaginary landscapes and despite chairlift's evident sense of humor and joy at music making, this journey ends on an ominous note, leaving the listener most certainly wanting more.

although it's difficult to peg, perhaps what truly ties this album together is the hazy, vaguely psychedelic, synth-driven reverie feel, which somehow never becomes heavy or lethargic. "does you inspire you" is an equally ambitious and successful effort from a band with a fresh outlook on music, which will certainly leave both and critics alike eagerly awaiting a sophomore release.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intruiging debut album (now with bonus tracks), June 29, 2009

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Does You Inspire You (Dig) (Audio CD)

Let me state upfront I had never heard of or listened to Chairlift, but for hearing them on internet-only WOXY (Bam! The Future of Rock and Roll), the best indie-music station in the country, bar none. I loved in particular the song I heard ("Bruises") and decided to check out the album.

"Does You Inspire You" (13 tracks, including 2 bonus tracks; 51 min.) is a very promising debut album from the Brooklyn-based trio. The album's sound is hard to describe, but brings a mix of slower and some harder rocking tunes that kind of put a spell on you. Lead singer and keyboardist Carolyn Polachek is clearly the center of attention. At times her singing reminds me of Sarah McLachlan but in far more adventurous settings. My favorite tracks include the opener "Garbage", the first single "Bruises", "Evident Utensil" (which could also be a single in my book), the biting " Make Up Your Mind" (best track on the album), and the closer "Ceiling Wax". This album was originally released in the Fall of 2008, but was recently re-released with 2 extra tracks, the excellent "Le Flying Saucer Hat" and also "Dixie Gypsy".

I had the good fortune to catch Chairlift (just off of their tour in support of Peter, Bjorn and John) not once, but twice at the Bonnaroo music festival a few weeks ago. They played smaller stages on different days, and their sets were fantastic, and rocking much harder live than what you hear on this album. This is one band I will surely be following in the years to come.

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant, if a bit derivative, record., September 17, 2008

By 

Leif Sheppard (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Does You Inspire You (MP3 Download)

Chairlift are far from innovative, as many tracks on this album sound akin to many others in their genre - yet when they shine they are as brilliant as the best.

'Bruises' is the best example of this, and interest in the group has been growing thanks to its inclusion in the new iPod Nano adverts. You may recognize the lyrics "I tried to do handstands for you, but everytime I fell for you." It's quirky lyrics and impassioned vocal delivery really sell the song, and it is certainly the high point of "Does You Inspire You".

If given the opportunity, I suggest obtaining a copy of their self-released "Daylight Savings" disc. It contains a demo version of 'Bruises' which I find superior to the rather over-produced version here. In many ways it's the same track, yet the bassy electronica aspect is more subdued. Honestly, however, the song is strong enough it could be performed with nothing but an acoustic guitar accompaniment and it would still be killer.

I suggest listening to the sound clips carefully before purchasing the entire album, as 'Bruises' is the strongest track by far. Indeed, the bulk of the album reminds me of the Terra Cotta soldiers of China - they're all different in some way or another, but if you've seen one you've seen them all.

The album as a whole is primarily composed of tracks that are built upon the sort of puerile pop structure that sounds suited for inclusion in the latest episode of "Gossip Girls". For instance, 'Evident Utensil' is just laughably bad. By the way, the 'most evident utensil is none other than a pencil.'

Well, not everyone can be Dylan, right?

In the end, "Does You Inspire You" is a pleasant enough record. 'Planet Health' has a nice groove to it, though it still suffers from a case of banality. But Chairlift do display some potential for future growth. Perhaps their sophomore effort will sound a bit more mature. . .