A third studio album for Brooklyn natives and synthpop duo, Chairlift, Moth is a vibrant, enigmatic collection of songs – random but altogether consistent.
With strong and adaptable female vocalist, Caroline Polachek carrying the weighted emotional lyrics the album features – mostly sweet love melodies and heartbreak tracks – the playfulness and rhyming help to cast the sad songs into nostalgia rather than regret, “But every little pull at the end of the golden rope, Fills my foolish heart with foolish hope, That maybe you might feel the same, As if feeling the same was the name of the game”.
The ambiance set by the more mellow tracks, ‘Ottawa to Osaka’ and ‘Crying in Public’, becomes disjointed with the more upbeat, jazz-pop tunes ‘Ch-Ching’ and particularly ‘Romeo’ – which has a bit more of a Disney tween pop-star/Aqua circa 1997 vibe than the usually established synthpop sound that Chairlift produces.
When first forming in 2005, the then trio intended to make music for haunted houses – and despite having some success in doing so, to our delight, decided to make commercial tunes. This sense of mystery and intrigue seems to have carried through, with the use of curious sound effects, eerie string and percussion, and synthesised vocals that recall a little Bjork bringing a sense of adventure and the trepidation of ‘what’s next?’
Caroline’s inflection and Patrick’s curiously beautiful musical arrangements invite question with every song. If you don’t analyse the tracks they are easy enough to listen to, whilst underneath, complicated enough to encourage introspection.
8/10
Reviewer: Marley Tinnock