Review | Clairo: Charm, The Residency

“third time’s the …”

A few months ago, this is how Claire Cottrill, better known as Clairo, announced her upcoming third studio album, “Charm.” The online indie music community cheered, as one of their most beloved songwriters was finally releasing music after her immensely acclaimed releases “Sling” and “Immunity.” Known for her intimate, hushed vocals, lush vocal stacks, and thoughtfully vulnerable lyrics, Clairo started releasing music online at age 13. Her initial rise to fame was with her song “Pretty Girl,” a DIY sounding tune with an equally DIY looking video to match. The video went viral on YouTube, with over 100 million views to date. Clairo, while not the first to do so, was an integral part of the rise of the “bedroom” sound — singer-songwriters making music that sounded like it was just messaged to you by your insanely talented friend.

As Clairo’s career has progressed, she has evolved her sound with each release. After “Pretty Girl” and its accompanying EP “diary 001,” her debut album Immunity saw her leaning into rock and electronic sounds, creating a modern yet timeless sounding work with Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij acting as producer alongside Cottrill. Sling saw Clairo working with producer Jack Antonoff (Taylor Swift, Lorde) on a stripped back, ‘70s inspired folk record. With Charm, Clairo leans into soft rock and jazz, while still maintaining the prowess of her storytelling from past records.