In a summer filled with hot new releases, singer-songwriter Clairo has returned after three years gone from the music industry with a new album, “Charm.” Fans will hear a familiar vibe in the album, with tracks that heavily resemble the jazzy and instrumental songs of her previous album, “Sling.” Fans can also enjoy a fresh, new sound.
The first two tracks of the album, “Nomad” and “Sexy to Someone,” were released as singles earlier this year before the album’s official release July 12. Clairo described the former as an “old and melodramatic” song that demonstrates she would do “endless” things for love.
Alongside a sense of nostalgia in the first two tracks, the rest of the album displays strong instrumentation, vocal harmonies, and funky electronic keyboards and pianos. Clairo continues to showcase her unique sound that keeps fans coming back.
A key difference between “Sling” and “Charm” is the seriousness. Clairo described “Sling” as an album that focused on “domestic life and kind of slowing down”; it lacked the deep focus on sensuality present in “Charm.” The difference in the topics and lyrical maturity exemplify growth as an artist and person. Exploring the giddy, charming moments of a relationship — and sometimes questioning them — is an experience Clairo successfully taps into in “Charm.”
In an interview with Apple Music, Clairo explained how the title of the album captures new lovers being charmed by one another during the beginning stages of a new relationship. She described the album as a process of connecting to her sense of “femininity” and “individuality” with help from producer Leon Michels.
Though she tackles different topics, Clairo’s vocals maintain the soothing, delicate and intimate harmonies distinct to her songs. Alongside new acknowledgments of individuality and struggles with love, Clairo’s soft voice invites listeners to reflect on their personal experiences.
The album contains moments of vulnerability and sensitivity. In “Nomad,” Clairo assesses whether solitude is preferable to the pain of losing a partner with lyrics like, “I’m cynical, a mess / I’m touch starved and shameless / But I’d rather be alone than a stranger.”
“Charm” explores happier, bubblier emotions as well in other tracks such as “Second Nature,” where the artist describes her deep, unconditional love for someone as “second nature” and something that leaves her “train of thought destroyed.”
Throughout the album, Clairo navigates passionate emotions that may arise in relationships, such as uncertainty and yearning. She does so with simple and catchy lyricism traditional to her style. These feelings of reflection and ease, partnered with mellow beats and lyrics in tracks such as “Echo” and “Glory of the Snow,” make Clairo’s latest release a well-rounded summer album listeners can unwind with.
