By Kayla Boujja – Contributor

Our Fall Semester is nearly over! We’re all about to head off in a mere few weeks, only to be back at Bishop’s to do it all over again in early January. This feels like the right time to discuss an album that brightened my Fall: Charm, by Clairo. 

Released in July of 2024, Charm, Clairo’s 3rd studio album, embodies a jazzy, funky & sexy vibe that is unlike anything I, or anyone, has heard from her before. Perfect for Autumn listening, tracks like Terrapin and Echo, which share a super similar vintage sound accompanied by dreamy instrumentals and sounds straight from the 70’s. Perfect for background listening while you study, or to throw on in the car when you feel like taking a scenic fall drive. Other songs like Add Up My Love and Second Nature, which are more upbeat and carefree in nature, exude a more playful vibe, backed by super upbeat, groovy instrumentals that are ideal for playing around your friends, or for when you simply want a little “pep in your step” while you walk to class. There’s a song for everyone on this record, and in my opinion, it is the definition of a Fall Album. Groovy, jazzy, and sometimes dream-like; you couldn’t ask for a more Autumn Soundtrack. 

There are a few major themes that are brilliantly woven into Charm. Namely themes of sensuality, femininity, attraction and love. In an interview with Apple Music, Clairo revealed that she had never really felt connected to her sensuality or her femininity until now. She emphasized that exploring these themes was meaningful to her, as they helped her reconnect to parts of herself that she had previously overlooked. We, as listeners, are offered insight into her reflection; she portrays certain sticky, confusing emotions (concerning love and loss) with ease… In Slow Dance, my favourite song on the record, Clairo attempts to grasp at her lover’s uncertainty (which many of us know all too well…). This is highlighted in the lyric: “What is it that’s keeping one foot out / And the other crawling in bed?”

Charm is a massive 360 from Clairo’s previous album, Sling, which gave off a much more acoustic, folky, serious & slowed-down vibe. Songs such as Reaper and Zinnias are a meditation on Clairo’s concept of domesticity, which is an overarching theme of the album. “I’m born to be somebody, then somebody comes from me” is a lyric from Reaper which illustrates her thoughts. Sling is, at its core, the product of Clairo (in the throes of COVID), grappling with her feelings towards motherhood and yearning for a sense of stability in her life. I sustain the belief that both of these albums are masterful in their own respect, but Charm is truly a breath of fresh air that I had never expected from Clairo. The lyrics don’t take themselves as seriously as they did on Sling, and we get to hear her talk about fun and flirty stuff for the first time. Sling is beautiful in its own right… I have a strong emotional attachment to the record, but it’s great to see Clairo let loose. 

A fun, flirty & radiant record with strong attachments to femininity, Charm is (in my opinion) one of the year’s finest albums. Appropriate for any time, or all the time, especially for fall. I am certainly charmed by you, Clairo!