Bleep

Chairlift lead singer Caroline Polachek breaks free of her Brooklyn-based indie pop outfit to release her debut solo album Arcadia as Ramona Lisa. Focusing solely on electronic production, Polachek constructs involving and eclectic soundscapes that are complemented by her honest vocals. The album grew out of a period of artistic experimentation in Rome, and the resulting work, in her own words, falls under the category of Pastoral Electronic Music, rustic themes soundtracking personal and introspective lyrical explorations.

Opening with a cascade of whirling synth patterns and distant organ chimes we’re plunged into the depths on ‘Arcadia’, sepulchral harmonies furnished with the spiritual leaning of Polachek’s lyrics. ‘Backwards And Upwards’ features a churning beat littered with lush synth washes and idyllic chimes. The sensuous ‘Getaway Drive’ is a gurgling bevy of bass and tapped percussion, falling somewhere between the retro homages of Johnny Jewel and the pioneering work of Giorgio Moroder. ‘Hissing Pipes At Dawn’ is onomatopoeic in the extreme, found sound meeting wistful piano meanderings, synth pads floating about in breezy wonderment. The broad strokes of 'I Love Our World' close the record with electronic drones and fizzing energy, a quiet disintegration rather than a triumphant explosion. It's safe to say that in stepping out on her own and moving beyond the familiar, Polachek has found great success in her own private Arcadia, into which we're eternally grateful for having been invited.

As featured in the Mid-year Roundup 2014