If American listeners have any broad familiarity with Charli XCX, it’s most likely thanks to her work on Swedish dance pop duo Icona Pop’s “I Love It” – XCX co-wrote and lent her vocals to the rousing dance anthem. With the release of True Romance the British singer is working, for the most part, on her own (Brooke Candy appears on the track “Cloud Aura”), and in greyer shades than the black and white of “I Love It.”
Born in 1992, Charli XCX (née Charlotte Aitchison) fills her debut album with hearty doses of Eighties synth-pop; borrowing heavily from the likes of New Order, the Smiths, and Depeche Mode. “Nuclear Seasons” – previously released in 2011 as a single – opens the album with something of a dark tone, lightened with handclaps and upbeat computerized backing vocals. “You (Ha Ha Ha)” has a nebulous sense of foreboding, as XCX sings about the lies you’ve told and how she was right all along, backed by staccato ha-ha-has.
For the most part her songwriting is simple (but not simplistic) and there are a few recurring themes: angels, lips, and things that may or may not be your fault. Rarely does writing songs about romance neglect to bring out extended metaphors. XCX’s songs bear some lyrical and stylistic resemblance to those of early Ace Of Base but, while that band excelled at crafting undeniably upbeat pop melodies, XCX doesn’t shy away from more sprawling and ethereal musical backdrops. “You’re The One” offers a sweet, hopeful chorus, but alternates with more mysterious almost chanted verses.
For the most part, True Romance feels like it successfully captures XCX’s vampy, longing/obsessed aesthetic. The only song that truly feels out of place is “Cloud Aura,” whose guest shot by Brooke Candy, rapping with lyrics like, “We coulda ran the world / you were my Chris Brown / I was your only girl,” seems incongruous with XCX’s larger motif. The rap element feels hard and harsh against XCX’s gentle vocal pining and synth-y Passion Pit-style backing track.
While True Romance doesn’t have any tracks that can compete with the crowd-pleasing appeal of “I Love It,” it does have a few standouts. With its wispy vocals and strong backing synth, the album’s closing track “Lock You Up” sounds like it could have belonged on the Drive soundtrack (think College’s “A Real Hero”), and “Take My Hand” might be the most likely dance floor jam, with its simple lyrics and Robyn-worthy beat. Like any good dance song, just when you think it’s over, it starts back up again. “Take My Hand” is certainly not as audacious as “I Love It” – nothing on True Romance is – but it’s a good start.
Artist:
www.charlixcxmusic.com/
www.facebook.com/charlixcxmusic
www.twitter.com/charli_xcx
Download:
Charli XCX (with Marina and The Diamonds) – “Just Desserts” – [mp3]
Album:
True Romance is out now. Buy it here on Amazon .
