One of the pop girls I was getting into last summer that I didn't end up getting round to talking about was Clairo, and specifically her newly released third album, Charm. It's a very easy on the ears and summery album, so when the autumn nights drew in and the weather got worse, it fell out of my rotation and I didn't feel the impetus to write about it. However, I've found it returning back into my rotation again this summer and I think it's worth highlighting because I think its a pretty great album that has only grown on me in the 15 months since it's release.
Prior to this album cycle I was only aware of Clairo as one of the early breakouts from the mid-2010's bedroom pop scene and a mild nepo-baby allegations internet 'controversy', but I had never actually listened to any of her music before. So my first experience of Clairo in earnest was hearing the lead single for this record, Sexy to Someone, on the radio while I was driving. And damn it's a great first impression. The elegant 70s baroque pop instrumentation, subtle groove and Clairo's hazy, whimsical voice all combine to create this dreamy and relaxed atmosphere that feels so out of time against the chaotic barrage of information of the modern world. Lyrically, it is also really thoughtful and unique. As the title suggests, it is about wanting to be considered sexy by someone. But it is not a lustful song, or even a sexy song in any real sense. It's about pining for companionship and to be desired by someone, and for that person to come into your life and shake up the routine you've become complacent in. One of my favourite lyrics in the song is "Oh, I need a reason to get out of the house", which Clairo sings in such an unglamourous, straight-up way.
The rest of Charm further explores these themes of pining for love and connection, but feeling so far away from it - in your own lane and routine, well away from anyone that might come in and shake all of that up. This is all paired up against really gentle and low-key, throwback sophisti-pop, baroque pop and soft rock instrumentals that sound straight out of the 70's and 80's, further aiding that 'out of time' vibe throughout the whole record. On the opener, Nomad, Clairo compares her love life to that of a nomad, and how she struggles to connect with the people she is with and how she has the itching urge to always move on to the next thing, never letting herself settle down with someone. Thank You has similar themes, where Clairo basically admits that she knew a certain relationship had an expiry date from the moment she first met this person. The brazen admition of kind of using this person is really quite stark and not something you see a lot in pop music. Second Nature and Slow Dance are gentle piano led tunes where Clairo in turn expresses her confidence in a relationship and then her insecurities about one that is clearly fading out and in its twilight hours. The tracks are placed back to back in the tracklist and provide a sense of duality, where as much Clairo wants to believe that it will work out, she ultimately knows it wont.
Terrapin is a jazzy tune that explores the simple things in life, and I really love the pianos and keyboards skittering about in the mix - it sounds really cool. This leads into Juna, which goes one step further and builds something more monumental. The song is certainly the centrepiece of the album with its ascending synth and horn lines and the strident hook of "You know me-ee-ee" that rises up with the instrumentation. Add Up My Love returns to the slightly meatier grooves of Sexy to Something, with some lush woodwind and strings to back it up. The song once again takes the idea of a break up and pining for someone, and spins it with the interesting idea of Clairo wanting to take all the time she is spending thinking about this person and condensing it into one chunk of 'sad time' that she can get through and then be done with.
Echo feels very late 60's / early 70's to my ears. The hazy vocals, woozey psychedelic guitars and fuzzy moog synths really give off a Nico / Carpenters / Early Pink Floyd kind of mash up; whereas Glory of the Snow gives off a later, pop-era Fleetwod Mac atmosphere with the reverby piano and jovial melody. Pier 4 closes out the record as a simple acoustic ballad that wraps up the record's themes really well, referencing back to the ideas of not feeling romantically seen and kicking it out in your own lane that Nomad brought up at the start of the record.
Charm is a great album, it captures the vibe and atmosphere it is going for perfectly, and has a lot of really interesting things to say about its lyrical themes and ideas. While I did enjoy it last summer when it was first released, it has really taken its time to sink in with me and I like it even more now. I kind of got addicted to Bags from her second album when it went semi-viral on tiktok earlier this year, so I'm exited to check out the rest of her discography to see if it stacks up to this record.
Top Tracks: Nomad, Sexy to Someone, Thank You, Terrapin, Juna, Add Up My Love, Echo, Pier 4
8/10
