Over the last 10 years or so, Indie Pop music has seen a surge in popularity like no other. Artists like Beabadoobee, Billie Eilish, and PinkPantheress have taken over Pop music with their very unique and interesting styles of music, expanding Pop music in a way we have never seen and showing that Pop music does not always have to be super grand and highly produced. Arguably the best Indie Pop artist to emerge over the last several years(I am sure that some people would debate this, but she is definitely in the running) is Clairo. She has emerged from internet Bedroom Pop Darling to one of the most unique and mature-sounding acts in Indie Pop music today. After getting famous for viral hits like ‘Flaming Hot Cheetos’ and ‘Pretty Girl’ in the late 2010s, Clairo made a statement with her 2019 album Immunity. It was considered to be among the best albums of that year, critically acclaimed for its lyricism, fluidity, and eclectic sound. Clairo followed up Immunity with her 2021 album Sling. This record was also very well received. Clairo’s lyrical prowess once again shined, and her willingness to go outside the box from what any of her peers in the Indie Pop scene were doing was recognized as well. After three years, Clairo is finally back with her third studio album, Charm. This album has been highly anticipated, and was led up to by the two very good singles ‘Nomad’ and ‘Sexy to Someone.’ Here’s how I feel about this new album from Clairo. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from Charm, and also comment on how you feel about the album as a whole. 

The two aforementioned singles actually begin this album. Charm gets going with the single that came out second, ‘Nomad.’ This track has a very 1970s Psychedelic Folk Rock feeling to it. ‘Nomad’ definitely feels inspired by artists like The Steve Miller Band or Jefferson Starship. The melody for this track is so warm and fuzzy. The distortion on the guitar and piano riffs makes it so cozy. Clairo’s vocal tone on this track is perfect. Her tone sounds so nice on this balmy melody and makes ‘Nomad’ feel all-encompassing. On ‘Nomad,’ Clairo is singing about an ex who emotionally manipulated her that she still has feelings for. She is struggling between not wanting to feel alone and knowing she can not go back to this person because of how toxic they are. The other aforementioned single, ‘Sexy to Someone,’ comes next. This track certainly has a pretty similar feeling to the first track as far as its retro Psychedelic nature. ‘Sexy To Someone’ is a bit funkier than the previous track, having a bit more of a Motown feel to it. This is due to the bassline that drives the melody and the wind instruments that come in and out, making this track so smooth. The beat for ‘Sexy To Someone’ is somewhat upbeat, and the flow Clairo sings with reflects this. She sings with a bit more emphasis on this one, matching the springy feeling of the instrumental. ‘Sexy To Someone’ is a pretty straightforward track where Clairo is expressing her desire to be loved. ‘Second Nature’ has a slightly different sound than the first two tracks, taking on a bit more of a Jazzy element. To be honest, the first two artists I thought of when I first listened to this one were Sara Bareilles and Norah Jones. This is the kind of track one would expect to hear in a coffee shop or a Jazz Bar. The melody has a fresh feeling and reminds me of spring. There is a brief section in the middle of the track where the beat and melody slow down. I honestly am not that into this breakdown because it kind of takes the buzzing energy out of the track. Clairo’s vocal performance of ‘Second Nature’ is solid, but I would not say it is exceptional. It fits the melody well, though, and helps the song along nicely. In ‘Second Nature,’ Clairo sings about how easy and natural it feels to be in love with her partner. ‘Slow Dance’ almost feels like a sonic fusion of the first two tracks and the last one. The bright and sunny piano riff that drives the melody has a Jazz club feeling to it, but the rest of the instrumentation is pretty groovy and psychedelic. I really enjoy how pronounced the instrumentation gets on the hook of this track, as the guitar riff and horns that come in make the song feel so fuzzy and full. ‘Slow Dance’ has a very fun tempo that will get anyone bobbing their head. Clairo’s vocals on this track are so soothing and sweet; the delicate nature of her vocals contrasts the instrumentation and softens the song up a bit. In ‘Slow Dance,’ Clairo sings about how it feels like her partner does not fully trust her and seems to not want to fully open up to her. 

‘Thank You’ once again takes on a slightly different sound than anything before it. There are elements of the Jazzy Piano Pop of the last two tracks, but this one has a lot more of a Disco feel. This is due to the tone and tempo of the melody as well as the Disco-esque beat. It is not quite are energetic and powerful as most Disco music, but the elements are still there. ‘Thank You’ contains Clairo’s best vocal performance of the album so far in my opinion. She shows off her range a bit on this, and her tone is so comforting. On ‘Thank You,’ Clairo reflects on a past relationship and tries to recognize the good in what meeting this person did for her life. Clairo slows and calms things down a significant amount on ‘Terrapin.’ This is the most easygoing and mellow song of the record so far. It follows the Jazzy Motown theme we have gotten on a lot of this record, albeit in a very toned-down manner. As slow and soft as the melody and beat are, ‘Terrapin’ has the most interesting and intricate piano riff of the record. I love how scattered and off-center this piano riff is, as it gives the song so much texture. Clairo once again shows off her range on this song, hitting certain notes throughout the song that give it a bit of vigor. On ‘Terrapin,’ Clairo sings about trying to appreciate the little moments in life; she wants to step back and absorb what is going on around her. ‘Juna’ has a pretty similar sound to the song before it. The tone of the melody is very close to the one on ‘Terrapin,’ and the light tempo of ‘Juna’ is alike. ‘Juna’ does have a slightly stronger Psychedelic tone to its instrumentation, though. It has a trippy guitar riff and vibrant horn sections that give the track some emphasis. Whereas Clairo’s vocals are pronounced on ‘Terrapin,’ they are a bit too reserved on ‘Juna.’ To be honest, I hardly notice her vocals while listening to this one. ‘Juna’ does have a pleasant tone, but Clairo is a bit drowned out. On ‘Juna,’ ClarIo sings about falling in love with someone new but feeling reluctant because of how she has been hurt in the past. Clairo brings the energy back up a significant amount on ‘Add Up My Love.’ This one is one necessarily more upbeat than a few of the tracks earlier on the record, but it certainly feels that way because of how slow the last two tracks were. ‘Add Up My Love’ has the most Disco-esque feeling of the record so far. Whereas a few of the previous songs were almost Disco-adjacent, this one sounds more purely Disco. I could totally see an artist like The Bee Gees or Earth, Wind, and Fire singing on this instrumental back in the day. ‘Add Up My Love’ has a bright and delightful melody that could put anyone in a good mood. Clairo’s vocals on ‘Add Up My Love’ are just as lively and pleasant as the instrumental is. Her vocal performances put this one over the top as easily one of the best songs on this record. In ‘Add Up My Love,’ Clairo wonders if her ex still thinks about her and misses all of the intimate moments they had. 

‘Echo’ immediately slows and softens things back down. This song almost feels most unlike the others on the record, to be honest. I know there has been a lot of variance on this record, but this one feels even more distant. There is a Psychedelic Folk element to the track that does resemble the first couple of tracks, but this one feels more Poppy than those. ‘Echo’ feels closer to The Beatles than any of the previously mentioned artists. ‘Echo’ also has the most melancholy sound of the record so far. It almost feels dark because of how gloomy its tone is compared to before it. Clairo’s vocals on this song are whimsical and ethereal; she adds to the already mystical feeling the track has. On ‘Echo,’ Clairo sings about not being able to fight her infatuation with this new partner and leaning into her emotions. ‘Glory of the Snow’ has a pretty similar sound to ‘Add Up My Love.’ Not only does it have a very similar style of Disco-esque instrumentation, but its melody even sounds pretty close to the one on ‘Add Up My Love.’ There is a bit of a fuzziness that gives ‘Glory of the Snow’ a bit more of a Psychedelic feeling, but that is the biggest thing that distinguishes these instrumentals for me. Clairo’s vocal performance on ‘Glory of the Snow’ is solid, but I would not say it’s overly captivating. ‘Glory of the Snow’ is certainly enjoyable, but it does not draw me in as much as the other Disco songs from this record. In ‘Glory of the Snow,’ Clairo reminisces on her past relationship and wonders if it would be worth it to go back to this person. Clairo closes out the record with its most subdued song in ‘Pier 4.’ This is the only truly acoustic Folk song on Charm. There is no beat for ‘Pier 4,’ with most of the instrumentation coming from an acoustic guitar riff. Throughout the track, a few other instruments, such as a piano riff, come in and out to give the melody a bit more depth. Clairo’s vocal performance on ‘Pier 4’ is so strong and intimate. You can really feel the emotion of the track through how she sings this track. On ‘Pier 4,’ Clairo sings of trying to use her past experiences as a way to be more wise and resilient in the future. This is a song about personal growth and kind of sums of the feeling of acceptance that has been a theme throughout this whole record.

It is very intriguing when an artist only has themself to live up to in terms of the quality of their record. Similar to Billie Eilish in a way, Clairo is so distinguishable from her peers that it is tough to compare her new record to anything but herself. I appreciate how adventurous the sound of Charm is compared to her last two albums. Clairo certainly goes in different and more bold directions on this record, from all the Motown and Disco elements to the Psychedelic feeling of the record. I will say, though, that the sequencing on this album kind of feels disorganized at times, which is unexpected for a Clairo album. Maybe I just need to keep listening to it because I do not get it yet, but there are songs that feel out of place compared to the tracks around them. Clairo’s songwriting on Charm is as crisp as ever as well. Her self-awareness on this album is kind of awesome and makes the sentiment of these tracks so relatable. There are a lot of great vocal moments on Charm, but there are also times when her vocals get drowned out a bit. Overall, Charm is a very good record with some great high points, but it is not quite as consistent as Clairo’s last two albums for me.

BEST TRACKS – ‘NOMAD,’ ‘SEXY TO SOMEONE,’ ‘THANK YOU,’ ‘TERRAPIN,’ ‘ADD UP MY LOVE,’ ‘PIER 4’

7.71/10