Coco and Clair Clair – ‘Girl’ album review: carefree confidence to close out Brat summer
THE SKINNY: 2024 has marked a real return to self-confidence and self-indulgence in pop music. Charli XCX sparked an unparalleled obsession with the album rollout for Brat, concocting club classics, iconic Boiler Room sets and remixes on remixes on remixes. Sabrina Carpenter had us wrapped around her finger on the addictive ‘Espresso’, asserting herself as a pop dream come true. And now, Coco and Clair Clair have returned with the sonic equivalent of an afters to your neon green Brat summer.
Coco and Clair Clair exist within a slightly different realm from the pop girls who have dominated the summer so far. The duo sit somewhere between subdued club music, bedroom pop, and shimmering alternative hip-hop with their crisp percussion, buzzing bass, and sultry vocals. Their lyrics are playful and purposeful, indulging in every opportunity to show off their flow. On their new album, Girl, this sound is more sharpened than ever before, with a new focus on girly hedonism.
It’s a record that seems perfectly timed amidst the current musical landscape. Coco and Clair Clair flit between songs that assert their self-confidence through boastful lyrics, songs that show off a gentler side to the duo through more tender admissions, and even a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young cover. Their lyrics are consistently silly and self-assured, cheeky but never off-putting, while their vocals blend together seamlessly.
Instrumentally, the record further hones the sublime, bedroom-adjacent style that Coco and Clair Clair have become known for, but there are also more club-worthy moments. ‘My Girl’ buzzes with sonic excitement, while ‘Kate Spade’ bolsters statements of self-importance with bold bleeps. Their sound is compact and confident at the same time, primed for afters listening or for remixing.
If you’ve run out of guesses for who might appear on the final Charli remix and are tired of hitting replay on ‘Good Luck, Babe!’, Girl by Coco and Clair Clair just might be the perfect way to round out your Brat summer.
For fans of: Getting ready with the girls, running errands with the girls, grabbing dirty martinis with the girls.
A concluding comment from George Daniel’s psyche: “Can I borrow this for my Boiler Room set?”
Girl track by track:
Release date: August 30th | Produced by: Coco and Clair Clair | Label: Many Hats
‘Martini’: A laidback opener pairs swirling soundscapes and crisp percussion with a tale of cheating, adorned with references to Weezer and pints in the pub in Ibiza. That casual Coco and Clair Clair confidence is immediately set into place as they declare, “Every single song we make’s your man’s anthem.” [3/5]
‘Kate Spade’: Coco and Clair Clair kick that confidence up a notch on ‘Kate Spade’, which is just as atmospheric as ‘Martini’ but with additional bleeps. The song features some of their most memorable and ridiculous lyrics yet, most notably, “Write a hit song then I read a big book.” Sounds like a perfect day. [4/5]
‘Gorgeous International Really Lucky’: The duo provide listeners with a glimpse at their more vulnerable side on ‘Gorgeous International Really Lucky’, a slightly softer offering that verges on bedroom pop. “I just wanna be enticing, tell me I’m enticing,” Coco admits. There are tender, almost youthful admissions of love peppered into the song, too, as Clair Clair shrugs, “You’re so cool, I wanna be with you.” [3/5]
‘Our House’: We’re three songs in now, so surely you can predict what Coco and Clair Clair are going to do next, right? Another song asserting their hit-making abilities, perhaps? Or a slightly gentler tale of true love? Or perhaps a cover of a track by soft rock supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young? Surprisingly, it’s the latter, and even more surprisingly, it works. [3.5/5]
‘Everyone But You’: At the midpoint of the record, Coco and Clair Clair switch things up instrumentally with a soft strum and a shaker, but their lyrics are just as playful and defiant as ever. “We try to warn girls about men like you,” Coco sings, “All you do is bite, gingivitis, and you don’t chew.” It’s easy to imagine ‘Everyone But You’ on the soundtrack for a coming-of-age film. [4/5]
‘Bitches Pt. 2’ (ft. Marjorie-W.C. Sinclair): ‘Bitches Pt. 2’ opens with an extraterrestrial array of synths and bleeps, which give way to another bold assertion of Coco and Clair Clair’s confidence. It’s the only song on the record with an external feature, closing with a reference to Janet Jackson and a verse from Marjorie -W.C. Sinclair, who also featured on ‘Bitches’ back in 2022. [3/5]
‘My Girl’: If you were hoping for a Temptations cover, you may be disappointed. The synthy, super cool ‘My Girl’ couldn’t be much further from the 1965 love song, charting wanna-be socialites and shots over shimmering electronica. It seems like a last-ditch attempt to feature on Brat Summer playlists before they’re resigned and ready for sad girl autumn, but it’s worth a couple of plays before BST comes to an end. [4/5]
‘Graceland’: Once again, if you were hoping for a Paul Simon cover, you may be disappointed. Coco and Clair Clair show off their flow on the casually cool ‘Graceland’, bragging about having much more money than your favourite indie band. They’re probably right. [3/5]
‘Aggy’: Coco and Clair Clair close Girl with lead single ‘Aggy’, which reasserts the carefree, casual hedonism that drives the record. “You bring the boys, I’ll bring the girls,” Clair Clair sings in the chorus, “Have a couple drinks, forget about the world.” Stick Girl on in the background next time you’re looking to live out those plans. [3/5]
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.