Charm by Clairo

By Kiera Tran

It is a Clairo summer.

If this was not made evident by Claire Cottrill’s two summer singles, “Sexy To Somebody” and “Nomad,” then it should be painstakingly obvious with the release of her new album, Charm. With classically Clairo vocals and strong instrumentation (featuring the clarinet!), she has once again produced a strong and quietly exuberant indie / soft rock album.

Throughout the album, Clairo draws upon a similar and cohesive sound, making each track connected, yet different. Despite “Sexy To Somebody’s” early release, it remains as one of the album’s most impressive tracks. Other standouts include “Thank You,” “Juna,” and “Add Up My Love,” my favorite being the latter. It would also fail to be a quintessential Clairo album without an aching anthem, Charm’s being “Pier 4.”

The album tracks themes of stillness, loneliness, and desire, with vulnerable lyrics like “but I’d rather be alone than a stranger… I’d rather wake up alone than be reminded / of how it was a dream this time” in “Nomad.” This is carefully coupled with soft, yet sensual lyrics like those of “Juna;” “You make me wanna go dancing / you make me wanna try on feminine / you make me wanna go buy a new dress / you make me wanna slip off a new dress.” These themes carefully encapsulate the feeling of quiet longing and the contrary nature of desire.

In Charm, Clairo demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of musical production and her individualistic sound, drawing upon her previous album, “Sling.” I think that this understanding indicates a strong sense of selfhood and I personally love her style of music, but I also would be interested in her pushing herself stylistically.

Altogether, Charm is a testament to Cottrill's beautiful music and permanence as an indie songwriter. She has come far from releasing YouTube videos in her bedroom, and it is inspiring to track her growth across albums. Charm is my favorite album release of the summer, and it is undoubtedly worth the listen.