It’s all been done. That we know. From Chuck Berry stems Elvis, from Elvis comes the Beatles. Without the Beatles, there is no . . . well . . . modern pop music.
Artists have been borrowing from one another since long before the Internet and Pitchfork. It cannot be held against them. But what can be held against them is when they do so without adding something to that sound, making it somewhat their own. E.g., from Nirvana we got a load of shit bands that added nothing new.
Brooklyn’s Chairlift fit somewhere in the middle of this heap. They certainly bring something to the table, but they rise from time to time and lose their concentration.
To begin you should know that in 2008 they got the boost that every young band dreams of these days; Apple used their song “Bruises” in an ad for the fourth-generation iPod Nano. As expected, the commercial made things happen rather fast for the band. So fast, in fact, that the original release of their debut, Does You Inspire You, went out of print on the Kanine label late last year. Which brings us to the rerelease that is playing on my iPhone right now and that I am to review.
The first thing worth mentioning is that there are a few extra cuts on here that the original release lacked—including the either annoying or pop-perfect "Le Flying Saucer Hat." The second thing to point out is that the buzz has seemed to die down as quickly as it built up. After initially pushing play, the death of the buzz seems unfair.
Then again, in the music world, not much is fair. Take a look at the Billboard Hot 100 right now. Cringe.
On the surface Does You Inspire You is a sugary sweet release. Upon first listen you could fall quickly in love. These songs can stick in your head. And the vocals fit perfectly around the electronic echoes. Fans of fellow Brooklynites Brazilian Girls may feel right at home with the album opener, “Garbage, ”a creepy and sexy tune about . . . trash. Though the environmental message is clear, the lyrics to this fantastic opener come across a little uncomfortably. However, this is not where the album falters most noticeably. “With stomachs full of oil and vinegar” may make you wince in wonderment, but musically this song is solid enough to carry the lyrics.
Track two, “Planet Health,” is an ode to youth’s inevitable future. A great bass line and Polachek’s dreamy vocals surround it. But again, lyrically it stumbles: “I was trained in diversity / In the garden of puberty.”
The first two songs are the album’s high points. Nothing seems to stick as well as these two. Even “Bruises,” though a fun song that can pull you in, sounds a little too close to a Regina Spektor tune with its “you-o–o-o-o-o” melody. But the major problem lies not in whom Chairlift borrow from, but in that the inspirations and influences come from so many different places but never gel into one sound. “Don’t Give A Damn” could easily be a Neko Case tune. Though it’s a solid enough song, nothing about the track fits. The album seems to suffer for moves like this.
Ultimately, the band has great talents and a lot of influences that could be merged into something amazing down the road. They are young. There is time for a masterpiece from Chairlift, but Does You Inspire You is not it.
Yes, it’s all been done. No doubt. All you can do is make it your own. Give Chairlift some time, and maybe, just maybe, they will inspire they.
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