Clairo – Charm

Chamber Pop | Indie Folk | Soul

63%

 

The wealth of talent in the indie singer/songwriter scene has never felt so bountiful. Fans of that particular blend of soft introspection and bittersweet melancholy are positively spoiled for choice when it comes to new music. Great news for said fans, less so for artists trying to make a name for themselves in such a competitive scene. There’s more music readily available at our fingertips than ever before, far too much for us to afford every record the time and attention it deserves. Sadly there’s no easy answer that gives everyone their fair dues. The impetus lies on each artist to carve out their own unique niche within the wider landscape in order to stand out from the crowd.

Clairo certainly felt like she was in the process of this with 2021’s Sling – even if it wasn’t quite all the way there yet. It saw her admirably dabble in baroque pop elements, drawing on the hallmarks of the classic era of 60s singer/songwriters. In many ways it felt like a transitional period, a step along a greater journey. The lush warmth she was reaching for at times felt at odds with the aloof lo-fi aspects of her sound, stubbornly refusing to mix like oil and water. With a number of artists like Birdy and Lizzie McAlpine following a similar tack with their recent records in the years that followed, and arguably finding a more comfortable fit, the pressure was on for Clairo to build upon the promise of Sling with her next release. 

Charm – as in “third time’s the…” – is by far the most instrumentally engaging and ambitious entry in Clairo’s discography. Instead of drawing deeper from the well of traditional singer/songwriters, the record finds its sonic palette by side-stepping into the world of soul and jazz. The dark smoky rooms it evokes providing a far better fit than one might first suspect when fused with quiet pensiveness of contemporary indie artists. ‘Juna’ is home to the kind of lush intoxicating groove that would feel right at home on a Marvin Gaye record, while album highlight ‘Terrapin’ delivers delightfully refined jazzy percussion and some truly transcendent piano work. Honestly, give that piano player a medal, he’s playing like his rent is due. The understated bass groove and hints of woodwind add a lot to ‘Sexy To Someone’, the magical mellotron hum on ‘Thank You’ and ‘Echo’ offer that dreamlike feel from a bygone era, while everything comes together on the chorus of ‘Add Up My Love’ to elevate it into becoming one of Clairo’s best hooks to date.

Yet while Charm certainly has plenty of its namesake, ultimately its greatest strength also proves to be its fatal flaw. The instrumentals are such a step up here, that Clairo’s vocals end up feeling overshadowed and left behind. The music has such a rich opulence to it that her aloof and dreamy vocal style becomes frustratingly flat by comparison. There were hints of this back on Sling, but back then it was balanced out by having more subdued and wistful cuts like ‘Blouse’ to play to her strengths. Here, there’s nowhere to hide. I often found my thoughts wandering to what these songs might sound like in the hands of someone else. How these sublime soulful arrangements would shine when backing up a vocal performance with even a hint more energy, fire or expression. The detached ennui of her delivery is by far the weakest link in the chain. That style has a time and a place to shine, but it isn’t here, in this instance it feels outclassed and out of place. Sadly, while there’s a lot to like about Clairo’s latest, I find myself liking it in spite of her, not because of her.