Chairlift: "Romeo"

Atalanta really knew how to date. In Greek mythology, she was a strong huntress, raised in the woods by bears. She made potential suitors fight for her hand in marriage by competing against her in a footrace, and she killed those who lost. Most men died, which was just fine because Atalanta was more into boar hunting than boys.

Such is the inspiration for Chairlift‘s latest single, “Romeo”, in which the duo turn Atalanta’s invitation to race into a frenetic synth-pop track. “I’m gonna run ’til you give me a reason,” Caroline Polachek sings, her voice suddenly rolling “reason” into a breathy, high pitch, “To fall on my knees, to need love.” You can almost hear a smirk at the end of each line, with even her drawn-out “Romeo” call in the chorus sung like a sing-song, schoolyard taunt. The single hits a bit closer to the eclectic electronica of Chairlift’s sophomore record Something than its brassy album-mate, “Ch-Ching”, and when Polachek’s expert vocals aren’t front and center, a throbbing, squelchy synth line serves as a refrain. Is “Romeo” a fight song or a flirtation? For Chairlift, here, they are one in the same.

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