Album Review: Charli XCX - True Romance

Charli XCX
True Romance
Rating: Grrrr

I am always being accused of being a music snob that only likes "out there" stuff that no one listens to, but seriously that is quite the opposite in fact. I like a wide variety of music that spans many different genres and styles. I love pop music, just not music that is bland and boring without any heart and soul. If a song has a good hook, I am bound to like it. Enter into the picture Charli XCX, the name of 20 year old UK pop singer Charlotte Aitchison, who since 2008 has been teasing the airwaves with dark hearted pop tracks that have come across like the love child of Ke$ha and Grimes, filtering a pop sensibility through more experimental sounds and textures, but always throwing down a killer hook. After an interminable wait, Charli XCX finally releases her debut album, True Romance, and shows the wait was definitely worth it. Over 13 tracks, Charli XCX barely makes a misstep, constantly shifting and morphing her sound, mixing in elements from pop, EDM, reggae, hip-hop, dubstep, you name it, showing a restless sense of artistic adventure.

True Romance contains her first two singles, "Stay Away" and "Nuclear Seasons," both of which put her in the spotlight with both commercial media as well as independent critics like Pitchfork. "Nuclear Seasons" is a dense, swirling mix of buzzing synths and Charli's throaty vocals,



while stay away is a softer, mid-tempo ballad with booming drum programming, and a stunning vocal turn, showcasing her amazing vocal range.



There is a surfeit of excellent tracks on True Romance that keep you coming back more and more. The Gold Panda sampling track "You (Ha Ha Ha)" works off its quirky melody (which has been described as dolphins having sex) with a sassy vocal turn.



"Grins" utilizes haunting synth drones that erupt into a frenzy of skittering drum machines and skyscraping keyboards.



"Cloud Aura," featuring raps from Brook Candy, is a update on the classic collaboration between Eve and Gwen Stefani on "Let Me Blow Your Mind."



"What I Like" is a cloud kissed, drugged out jam, with a hip-hop inflected vocal, skittering drum programming, and an overall head-bobbing vibe.



While I really enjoyed the dark undercurrents of "How Can I?" with its bleak synth patterns and industrial clatter.



The only times True Romance falters is when it gets a little too close to Spice Girls, bubblegum pop territory. "Take My Hand" has a fairly pedestrian hook and too many chirpy synths bouncing around, while tracks like "Stay Away," "So Far Away," and "Black Roses," while decent pop tracks, just lack distinctive elements to make them stand out in a crowded pop field. Thankfully, these are just blips on the radar screen. Charli more than makes up for it with other tracks like the gorgeous ballad "Set Me Free" and the stunning, hook-laden closing track "Lock You Up."



True Romance is striking debut from a major pop talent. Whether she is writing her own tracks or giving out classic tracks like "I Love It" for Icona Pop, Charli XCX knows how to work the pop landscape, giving the music industry a much needed shot in the arm. If you are looking for the best pop record of the year, you only need to start in one place, and that is right here.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.