Sitting with Charm for a week now, Clairo's latest offering fills a blind spot left in the songwriters three year departure.
After the success of 2021’s Sling, Clairo seemed primed to become one of the biggest names in the modern pop world. Widespread critical acclaim, sell-out headline tours, songwriting credits for everyone from Lorde to Marcus Mumford (Mumford & Sons), and features on NME’s best album lists— it seemed like the indie-pop luminary was set to become the next tour de force in the industry.
Then out of nowhere, she retreated to a secluded off-grid life in the mountains of New York, leaving many fans wondering about her future in music.
Keep up with the latest music news, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
Now, after three years, Clairo returns with Charm — a welcoming, delicate, and introspective exploration of self-identity, artistry, and empowerment.
With the help of legendary producer Leon Michels (El Michels Affair), Charm traverses soulful folk balladry (‘Echo, Pier 4’), French-influenced lounge (‘Terrapin’) and lush hip-hop inspired grooves (‘Second Nature’, ‘Juna’), to deliver a collection of avant-pop daydream melodies.
Highlighting Clairo’s freshly reclaimed confidence and signature bedroom-diary candour in all its baroque pop wonder, ‘Sexy To Someone’, toys with simplicity, drilling self-imposed affirmations of sensuality and desire through repetitive lyricism, rhythmic snare arrangements and tepid vocal melodies. ‘Juna’ infuses trip-hop sensibilities, with Michels’ noticeable production shining through in its lo fi hip-hop grooves, psych mellotron, and Frank Ocean-inspired neo-bluegrass harmonies.
It’s an album that’s not afraid to explore even the slightest of segues, both lyrically and musically, presenting Clairo in her most experimental, baring and spectacular form yet.
Charm by Clairo is out now via Virgin Music Group. You can stream it here.
