Off the back of her biggest album to date, Charli XCX has returned with “Wuthering Heights.” This new album acts as a companion piece and soundtrack with Emerald Fennell’s film of the same name.
Charli is no stranger to providing music for soundtracks. “Boom Clap”, one of the songs that put her on the map in 2014, was made for the soundtrack of “The Fault in Our Stars”. While she has also aided in composing the “Bottoms” soundtrack, those songs were mostly instrumental. This album sees her making a full lyrical body of work for a film.
“Wuthering Heights’” Lead single “House,” featuring John Cale of The Velvet Underground, does a good job of setting the tone for the album. Composer Anthony Willis and longtime collaborator Finn Keane give the instrumental a haunting feel. The use of strings in a staccato manner sounds like something straight out of a horror movie. John Cale’s performance of his self-described “elegant but brutal” poem in the first part creeps under your skin.
As the beat drops and Charli’s vocals goes into full distortion, the weight of the story you are about to hear becomes apparent. Much like the film it is attached to, it has a grand, yet dark atmosphere to it.
The grander cinematic feel carries over to the singles with “Wall of Sound” and “Chains of Love”, which makes sense as these are prominently featured in the film and its marketing. While Charli said this is not “True Romance”, plenty of broody yearning can still be found.
In the aforementioned “Wall of Sound”, Charli finds herself unable to escape her love despite how much it frustrates her. This carries over into “Always Everywhere”. If it were not for the desperation in the lyrics, the magnificent, dreamy instrumental would make this song perfect for a wedding. This song and “Seeing Things” show Charli haunted by the visage of her love, whom she has tried to escape.
All of this pining doesn’t mean we cannot have a little fun, though. “Dying For You” gives us a more upbeat modern-sounding jam that I think will be a fan favorite from the project. It certainly is my favorite. Charli’s knack for evocative imagery bleeds through with the gothic background while still delivering a ridiculously catchy chorus.
In another stellar moment, Charli brings indie pop icon Sky Ferreira out of retirement for “Eyes of the World”. If this is all we get from her for another five years, I would not complain. This sweeping ballad makes you want to scream its lyrics from the rooftops. Here, the two singers compare their lovers to the world itself, saying their perception of them is all that matters.
While a few slower moments do plague the album, it is still an incredibly engaging and cohesive album. At only 34 minutes, it breezes by, leaving you satisfied yet hungry for more. The good news is it’s replay value is off the charts. No matter how much you try this album will keep you chained in a loop of beautiful orchestration and evocative lyrics – more than could be said about the movie.
