Clairo proves she can write more than bedroom pop on debut LP ‘Immunity’
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07.08.2019

Clairo proves she can write more than bedroom pop on debut LP ‘Immunity’

Words By Lexi Herbert

It’s an intriguing debut from the emerging singer-songwriter.

The thing about Clairo’s debut LP, Immunity, is that each song on the album is good. They’re all well-produced, well-performed tracks that are a testament to the work of Clairo as well as Rostam, Danielle Haim and all other artists that contributed. However, while a cohesive album, Immunity becomes repetitive.

The opener, ‘Alewife’, sets a beautifully – and surprisingly – sombre tone that suggests a new path for Clairo: is she going to take us on a tour of the darker side of bedroom pop? This expectation is dashed as the next nine songs are carbon copies of the last, all of them bouncing around like pastel-tinged thought bubbles that use the same vocal inflections on every single ad-libbed “oh”.

Highlights are definitely the opener and closer; ‘Alewife’ delves into the more uncomfortable side of friendships and the expectations that come with. ‘I Wouldn’t Ask You’ is the best track on the album solely due to its almost seven-minute breadth. My only question is: where was this earlier in the LP? If Clairo knew she was capable of this expansion of her signature sound, why didn’t she explore that more frequently?

Overall, this album is a great start for Clairo, but more experimentation when it comes to vocals and subject matter would launch her from niche dark-bubblegum appeal to hardcore indie staple status.

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