“Sunset” is Caroline Polachek’s Right Turn

Graphic by Anya Perel-Arkin

By Nathan Hilyard

Caroline Polachek came off the high of 2019’s critically acclaimed Pang with relative silence. A few remixes here, some collaborations there, and eventually, she put out three polished, amply-spaced singles. First was “Bunny is a Rider” released in July of 2021, ripe with wandering whistles and sonic sharp right turns. Then, this past February, she released “Billions” — a surreal, airborne track featuring her classic soaring vocals paired with glittering percussion and a children's choir. And on Monday, she released “Sunset,” a frequent feature of her live sets which finally was seen through to an official release. 

Compared to “Billions” and “Bunny is a Rider” with their lush, tense sounds, “Sunset” is much more jovial. It opens with a jumping guitar riff, twinkling and circling around the opening verse: “These days I wear my body like an uninvited guest / I turn it right, and right, and right instead of turning left.” The initial verse is packed with movement. It fishes up and down and up again for some finality, before finally opening up to a more luxurious chorus: “So no regrets / ‘Cause you’re my sunset, fiery red.” This warm melody arrives as if Caroline’s been pacing the cryptic Mediterranean streets and just finally reached the beach. Bouncy and summerlike, it’s also a gentle reminder of the fun Caroline’s so well-versed in creating

Much of the song’s aesthetics revolve around a Mediterranean luxury. This is seen in the music video, ripe with old wine, beach parties and half-dug sandcastles. After coming off of Pang, which was so solidly grounded aesthetically, Caroline has set ambiguous seeds for the forthcoming album’s visuals. The three single’s respective cover arts feature Caroline against a black background with various props and costumes, in what appears as piecemeal visual imagery. Some motifs appear within multiple music videos — ants and wine, most notably — but overall, the modern and surreal take provides a nice contrast to Pang’s cohesive, neo-medieval aesthetics. 

In the final moments of “Sunset,” Polachek races up to a final note as the strings cut to silence. Just as when the sun dips below the horizon, “Sunset” leaves a lasting impression. Polachek’s work has always been deeply refined and painstakingly constructed. “Sunset” is no exception. This new single builds upon the best of her former work and pulls her sound into a new, but comfortable range. Polachek is just gearing up for another sharp right turn, and there’s no telling where she’ll go next.