Polaroid - Count On You
A review of “Count On You,” a downtempo single from Polaroid that appeared on Hed Kandi: Winter Chill 06.02.
Artist: Polaroid · Year: 2002 · Rating: ★★★★
One of the harder tracks to pin down on the Monkey Radio playlist, “Count On You” has a bit of a history. It’s a stellar track with an infectious refrain. Danielle “Dan” Rowe delivers haunting vocals with a Boa-like vibe (a la “Duvet”).
The trick is that the band doesn’t have an album.
The history
Per Wikipedia, Polaroid originally referred to a trio (Danielle Rowe, Lee Milleare, and John Horrocks); after Horrocks passed in 2001, Rowe used the moniker as a solo artist.
In 2003, Polaroid released a track, “So Damn Beautiful,” under Telstar, and it went viral (among other things, being used on Nip/Tuck). Three days before Polaroid’s debut album was due to release, Telstar went bankrupt. No label, no album, and Rowe retired the name and moved on to a new band (No Silence).
As a result, only a handful of Polaroid tracks exist: the aforementioned “So Damn Beautiful” single (2003), “Safety,” which appeared on Hed Kandi: Winter Chill 06.03, and our (earlier) Monkey Radio track, “Count On You,” from Hed Kandi: Winter Chill 06.02.
The sound
If you found the way
could you show me a sign,
would you hold the door
and let me run through
to a better place
that lets my mind,
helps my mind choose
I have to count on you.
The track is short, the vocals clean, and the hook catchy; it aligns with the female-vocalist-electronica vibe of the era, bringing to mind the likes of Boa and Portishead. That said, it has a less “gritty” vibe than either, putting this more in the downtempo genre than strict triphop.
Monkey Radio Tracks: 1 (Single)
- Polaroid - Count On You
Listen
While I haven’t found a digital release of “Safety,” the Monkey Radio track can be found on Bandcamp for streaming or purchase (as of June 2026):
