Charli XCX - Charli

So, I heard this album a while back. Charli XCX is not someone I usually listen to, but I always check out her new stuff, even if I never return. That was the case with this album too. I heard it, it didn’t move me at all, I moved on and never looked back. So, when Impala recommended this to me, I thought it would be a nice way to re-familiarize myself with Charli’s music. And, oh boy, how glad I am that I did just that!

I think pop music is usually carried by the production. Now, there are some exceptions where a great vocalist can do wonders with a minimalist or even with bad production. In my experience though, the pop music I tend to like is produced very well and they only occasionally feature a vocalist that I think is exceptional. Here, the production is phenomenal. It’s futuristic, but retro at the same time. It’s cold and lifeless, but it also creates a colorful and beautiful atmosphere. It’s an interesting contrast. Charli’s voice is okay, though it’s nothing special, in my opinion. The features are decent too, for the most part.

I don’t really have anything bad to say about this album. It’s a consistent piece of work, albeit it has a few low points, but I can easily excuse those when I look at the stratospheric highs this album gets to. The only negative that I can mention is that CRASH feels so lazy and uninteresting after re-listening to this LP. This made me really interested in Charli’s other work, except for CRASH, of course. Nice job, everyone!