Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek played something of a homecoming show at the Bluebird Theater. Photos by.
What I appreciate most about is also what I dislike most about the band. The group — which formed in Boulder years ago and later moved to Brooklyn — doesn’t have a singular personality. They are upbeat synth pop. They are down-tempo, Nico-channeling dream-pop. They are silly, twangy fun.
The band has grown a lot over the years — or maybe evolved is a better word. Their performance at on April 19 was a homecoming of sorts, but it was also a showcase of their new sound. Two days after the show, the indie band’s debut full-length, “Does You Inspire You,” was re-released by major label Columbia Records.
Whereas the band’s old shows inspired folks to sing along and sometimes jig along, these new dream-pop songs don’t inspire much of a reaction outside of the hipster head-nod. Songs like “Territory” and “Planet Health” are atmospheric head-scratchers to my ears, songs that don’t benefit much from the live translation.
That said, Chairlift is doing something right. They’re alive and thriving in New York, and they looked great, healthy on the Bluebird stage. The Bluebird audience was bigger than most of their other showings when they used to live here. And it doesn’t hurt that a major label picked up their little record and believed in it enough to re-release it. (They got a lot of traction out of “Bruises” being picked up for an iPod commercial.) So maybe this is one of those situations where it’s best to just quietly bow out of the conversation — and I’ll covet my old demo of early Chairlift recordings as everybody else is introduced to this band of talented songwriters and players who are pursuing a sound that doesn’t necessarily jibe with my aesthetics.
I will leave you with this, though. Singer Caroline Polachek’s vocals are sterling, and her wise voice sounds even better live than it does on the record. She seemingly has control over multiple octaves — more than anyone should — and her vocal control is impressive, admirable and gorgeous.
Ricardo Baca is the founder and co-editor of and an award-winning critic and journalist at The Denver Post. He is also the executive director of the , Colorado’s premier festival of local music. Follow his whimsies at , his live music habit at and his iTunes addictions at .
Denise Chambers is a Denver freelance photographer and regular contributor to Reverb. See more of her work .
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