Clairo's Resurrection: an In-Depth and Personal Review of “Charm”

Am I reverting back to my indie roots? Clairo never fails to serve our generation some of the best up-close and personal vibey tunes, her new album “Charm” being no exception. As someone with a case of musical ear syndrome, it would be silly for this album to NOT go in my top 5 albums of this year (so far), but why you ask? Here are my ratings, feelings, and constructive critiques about each song.

Nomad - 9.5/10

Kicking off the album with an easy-listening, soft track. Nomad was the second single of the album, being released on June 28th. Ms.

Cottrill's vocals do not disappoint, so it really blends with the instrumentals. When she sang “But I'd rather be alone than a stranger” I felt that on levels I could not comprehend. My favorite part of this song, however, is the soul-crushing (in a good way) bridge. She did some major cooking in the studio when making it, so people like me can belt it at the top of their lungs on random Thursdays around the house. Definitely one of the stronger songs on the album, in my opinion.

Sexy to Someone - 8.5/10

I remember the first single of this album being released on my last day of school, so I thought of it as a little treat for wrapping up my freshman year. I play the clarinet (not very well) but I really cherished the woodwind moments that this song had. It truly puts the cherry on top of a well-produced song.

The chorus is very catchy and it has a very memorable beat, making it miles away from being a bad song. Love this one!

Image Credit: Justin Higuchi from Wikimedia Commons

Second Nature - 6/10

So… this song was not my favorite! It wasn't my least favorite, but it was just a little confusing to me. I've discovered that I do not have a very popular opinion about this song since “Second Nature” is in everyone's top 3.

Overall, this sounds very personal to Claire which I love for her, but I feel like there were too many distracting and extra sounds throughout the course of the song. However, I do enjoy the little electric guitar in the background of the second verse and chorus, as well as another woodwind moment towards the end.

Slow Dance - 10/10

We're starting to get to my favorite chunk of the album. Out of all of the songs on this album, this one is probably my favorite. This beautiful piano melody opens the song that kind of carries the rest of the song.

I love the use of the synth and the almost Silk-Sonic drum patterns/style. In this age of music, there are a lot of songs that might come across as retro-sounding, and I think she nailed this style really well. In the second verse, you can faintly hear the acoustic guitar strumming, and I adore it when the piano and strings are together. Also, the woodwind riffs and runs are to die for.

Thank You - 8.5/10

If you know me, I love a loud and extra piano moment, so this chorus made me happy with the lovely low octave notes. My favorite part of this song, however, is…you guessed it… the bridge. This might be my favorite bridge of the entire album.

I don't know what exactly is in it, but there's just something that I resonate so heavily with that makes me want to break out into happy tears every time. It's a very accepting and validating song.

Image Credit: Justin Higuchi from Wikimedia Commons

Terrapin - 9/10

I kid you not, I audibly said “WOW!” after the first 2 minutes of the song because the piano parts are something that just cannot be real. Claire really outdid herself when it came to the instrumentals of “Charm”. I felt like an elegant princess after hearing those tiny piano solos.

What I like about them is that they sound like a genuine piano, if that makes sense. The humming feels so comforting and brings an exquisite feeling of being at home, even if you aren't.

Juna - 9.5/10

Once again, the instrumentals on this album are like no other. More of those homey feelings is being brought out, giving off a vibe similar to “Terrapin”. The lyricism, in particular, brought about my gaydar.

Maybe this song is directed toward a certain female figure in Claire's life? Also, I feel like every time she sang “You know me” in the chorus, 10 years were added to my life span. As I'm listening to this song more, not to be dramatic or anything, this is probably one of the most beautifully composed songs I've ever heard.

Add Up My Love - 6.5/10

Right off the bat, this reminded me of “Sexy to Someone”. It's very catchy and infectiously happy, but it just wasn't for me. Sometimes I'll let repetitive-sounding songs slide, but I wasn't too sure about this one. It's not a bad song, but I feel like there was more potential.

Image Credit: Justin Higuchi from Wikimedia Commons

Echo - 7/1o

This song feels so soft and fragile, like the wings of a butterfly, which I love. The frequent echoes throughout the track match the title of the song which, if I'm being honest, ATE. The strings have their time to shine in this song, really adding to the innocence of the song.

The beat is pretty solid and consistent too, which is a key component to making a pretty fire song. I like this one a lot.

Glory of the Snow - 4/1o

As much as I hate to say this, this song did not stick out to me in any way. There's nothing too special about this song and frankly, just sounds like every other soft indie song.

Pier 4 - 6/10

I'm usually not one who enjoys very sad and slow-tempo songs, but this one is a slight exception. Beautiful, beautiful lyricism is present, really tugging at my heartstrings. There is a very heavy Laufey vibe in this song, which I like artists doing because it really shows their vulnerability.

Those harmonies at the end, too? Pretty song.

Final Remarks

Such a beautiful, charming (pun intended), and revealing album. I feel like “Sling” was her transition period between this album and “Immunity”, showing another side of her that most people did not know existed prior to “Charm”, and I am so here for it. I cannot wait to hear about her future projects, but in the meantime, I'm going go to attempt (but probably fail miserably) to learn the piano parts for “Terrapin”.