The third album by American bedroom-pop superstar Clairo Charm doesn’t represent the same dramatic shift as Clairo's second album, 2021’s Sling. After gaining viral fame as a teenager with her charmingly lo-fi YouTube uploads, Clairo released her debut, Immunity, produced by Rostam Batmanglij. Then she took a different direction. Relocating to upstate New York, she collaborated with producer Jack Antonoff and secluded herself in the woods to create Sling. While Immunity highlighted Clairo’s connection with bedroom pop artists like Frankie Cosmos, Sling embraced a more pastoral, folky style, channelling the influence of Carole King and displaying little interest in revisiting her previous work or pursuing new pop hits.

For Charm, Clairo teamed up with a new producer, Leon Michels, known for his work with the El Michels Affair and as a member of the Dap-Kings. Together, they delved further into the 70s-inspired sound that Clairo explored on Sling, creating arrangements rich with Wurlitzer, mellotron, piano, and organ. Tracks like “Slow Dance” feature fluttering flute and clarinet, while “Terrapin” is adorned with piano embellishments. Whereas Antonoff’s production on Sling sometimes felt cool and atmospheric, Charm radiates a tangible warmth. Most of the songs have strong grooves, and although Clairo’s vocals remain largely subdued, the warm, golden production makes her voice feel more like an intimate whisper than a shy mumble on a first date.

Pressed on black vinyl, released via Virgin Records in 2024. 

Tracklist:

Side A

Side B