Subtly sweet

Review Score:

A-

April 20 / 2024 –

In the post-TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT era, I wanted – no, needed – to revisit a time when Jack Antonoff’s production was to the great benefit of a project. In his collaboration with Claire Cottrill, Antonoff headed into the mountains to help the burgeoning young artist capture a new sound.

Clairo broke out as a sort of bubblegum, bedroom pop artist. Accusations of nepotism floated around during the release of her debut album, Immunity. While there were a handful of standout tracks, Immunity felt removed from what made Clairo…well, Clairo.

Sling manages to recapture that quaint sound. But to what do we owe this? Well, to the dog that features on the album’s cover. Joanie, who gets her own song, awakened some untouched emotions within Claire. She is also is credited for percussion on “Joanie”. So, thank you dog. Good job, dog.

Sling‘s sounds are a far cry from the synth pop tunes that graced her debut album. Upon revisitation of Immunity, I find those tracks to be more reminiscent of the year they were made in than Sling – which at times sounds fairly timeless. There’s a gentle quality to all of the songs on Sling, an album that doesn’t have any true standout singles. It has a vintage pop aesthetic. The album is largely acoustic, but is occasionally accompanied by tasteful and interesting instrumentation, like the funky clavinet that runs through “Amoeba”.

Lyrically, it’s as if Clairo has matured a full decade from her debut. She delivers phrases that pack a punch. “Blouse” is perhaps the most impactful of these songs (and may be Clairo’s best song). “Blouse” is brutally honest and raw. Subtle orchestral strings back Claire’s layered harmonies in a truly stunning way as she sings,

“If touch could make them hear then touch me now”.

Unlike some of her previous work, she lets these songs breathe. She doesn’t rely on synth hooks to pull you in, as if this album was truly just hers and hers alone. It feels deeply personal. If this is any indication of how Charm turns out, I’ll be satisfied.

Review Score:

A-

Gubb wrote this review. You can’t get mad at Gubb.