Clairo – ‘Charm’ album review: A muted album that polishes its power away
THE SKINNY: It’s hard to understate the impact of Clairo despite the fact that she always seems like an unassuming force. When she first emerged, gaining millions of views on her self-recorded track ‘Pretty Girl’, she brought with her a huge wave of bedroom pop artists. As a second tsunami of popularity hit her with her debut album Immunity and the massive, viral tracks ‘Bags’ and ‘Sofia’, Clairo was left trying not to sink under her own hype.
There seems to be a pattern of this, with Gen-Z artists especially finding major success and then seeming to get scared and want to run from it. Lizzy McAlpine is another example as her hit ‘Ceilings’ was then followed by a bout of major anxiety and the decision to tour in a more low-key way, as if to try and squash some of that excitement. Clairo seems to have done the same as Immunity was followed up by the notably more demure Sling, and now Charm, an album that feels devoid of hits as if to try and keep her fans, or the prospect of gaining more, at an arm’s length.
That’s not to say that Clairo is purposefully making bad albums. Charm is beautiful. It’s cohesive and mature, full of complex instrumentals but with a clear sonic identity, as the musician seems to have fallen in love with pianos for this record. When listening from start to finish in an engaged and focused way, it reveals itself to be an impressive undertaking. But, even the most beautiful tracks like ‘Slow Dance’ or ‘Terrapin’ blur into the rest as the album’s cohesion also feels like its downfall as it fades to beige.
It feels wrong to constantly compare Clairo now to Clairo then. But it also feels disappointing that the vibrant and dynamic talent that she emerged as seems to be withering away in this new format. As she casts off the pop side or her old DIY approach, which constantly saw her experimenting with new sounds on new songs, to instead make albums that are slightly too neat, it all lacks the excitement she used to have.
That’s also not to say that Clairo needs to go back to her bedroom and to her unknown origin to make great music. It’s also not an attempt to trap her as her teenage self and demands she remains the young girl she was. But there’s something about Charm that somehow feels too mature, too polished and too thought out, lacking the necessary experimentation and adventure to keep things interesting.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Charm. It’s a gorgeous release and one that still proves Clairo’s talent and musical mind. But as it lacks a sense of fun and the variety that she used to command, it all fades to just being nice and not much more.
For fans of: Muted tones and vanilla.
A concluding comment from Clairo’s old bedroom studio: “We miss you, come back.”
Charm track by track
Release date: 12th July 2024 | Producer: Clairo and Leon Michels | Label: Clairo LLC
‘Nomad’: The album opens with cinematic slide guitars and subtle synths as if all the sounds on the record tune up and welcome you in. As a track, ‘Nomad’ feels like one of the most realised and thorough, like a Sling track but elevated with the higher energy of Immunity. [4/5]
‘Sexy To Somebody’: Clairo certainly got the singles from this album right as ‘Sexy To Somebody’ feels like an undeniably best-in show on Charm. It’s lyrically unique yet understandable, musically dynamic and engaging and swells to climaxes that keep listeners locked in from start to end. [4.5/5]
‘Second Nature’: The instrumental of this track is great, with a hooking beat and a characterful piano lead. But it’s the start of an emerging issue where Clairo’s voice feels too buried under it all for the lyrics to cut through. [3.5/5]
‘Slow Dance’: It’s around this point that the issue with Charm begins to emerge. When listening purposefully, ‘Slow Dance’ is a beautiful song. There are no flaws in it. But after several repeats of the album, it’s not memorable, with nothing all that special or specific to differentiate it from the other tracks. [3/5]
‘Thank You’: The slight switch up in instrumental energy in the introduction here pulls you back in, but as it descends into exactly the same kind of song, with a lyrically dense build not given space to breathe or dance, focus on exactly what Clairo is saying, it blurs to beige. [2.5/5]
‘Terrapin’: An album like this is the toughest to review because how many words are there to be able to say that it’s nice enough but nothing too special or stand out? ‘Terrapin’ has a gorgeous instrumental build, with the album’s finest piano performance thanks to the jazz elements, but as a whole song, it becomes much of the same. [3/5]
‘Juna’: Clairo’s voice is so stunning, but it’s hard not to miss her old vocal performance. Across so many of these tracks, it feels more like a whisper than a confident outpouring. She seems to shield herself now, not giving so much to her albums and not letting listeners in by keeping them at a disconnected arm’s length. [3/5]
‘Add Up My Love’: It could be said that Charm is an incredibly cohesive album with the same piano sound and slight vocal effect colouring every track, but it would be nice to hear a bit more diversity. ‘Add Up My Love’ offers a slight amount as the drums come back in heavier and the choruses swell more. [3.5/5]
‘Echo’: Here’s the change I’d hoped for. ‘Echo’ steps away from the piano finally, providing some of the most interesting tracks on the album simply because it sticks out from the others. It’s angsty, moody and feels more purposefully crafted to be something special with unique production details and obvious effort. [4/5]
‘Glory Of The Snow’: The piano returns but with a different tone. Maybe it’s just the effect of having a moment’s refresh with ‘Echo’, but Charm seems to find a second wind late in the game with these more built-out tracks. [3.5/5]
‘Pier 4’: Clairo engages with the grand tradition of closing out an album with a stripped-back track. Her voice sounds gorgeous, free from any distractions or layers to be lost under. It’s a chance to finally hear what she’s saying and engage, making her closing remarks some of her most moving. [4/5]
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