Review Summary: I just wanna be part of your symphony, Charli
That feeling of bewildered excitement hearing “House” for the first time is impossible to replicate. What a behemoth of a song, both cataclysmic and intimate, and sonically so striking and unique. A complete left-turn for Charli XCX into goth-industrial territory. Yes, it’s a shame that “House” was a misleading first single for
Wuthering Heights, but the album is still a showcase of some fantastic alt-pop.
It’s a throwback to her breakout album,
True Romance, but also her earlier mixtapes and forgotten deep cuts. The unfiltered confessional lyrics of “Wall Of Sound” feel like a sequel to “Thoughts” from
Charli, and the disharmonious synth soundscapes of “Chains Of Love” call back to “Grins” (first appearing on
Heartbreaks And Earthquakes in 2012). The titanic chorus on “Eyes Of The World” evokes
True Romance’s “Stay Away” as well as “24 Hours" by elusive featured artist Sky Ferreira.
The entire album is like a devoted love letter to the early 2010s’ soft grunge / pastel goth aesthetic tumblr era, back when
Born To Die and
Pure Heroine were the most important records in the world (to me, they still are). I view it as a thank you to the fans that have stuck by her for almost 15 years now, watching her exciting career exponentially blossom.
The strings are just gorgeous throughout, and I suspect these classical, often pastoral flourishes are what thematically link the soundtrack most to its 1800s-set film. I used to play in my school’s orchestra, and hearing the upwards glissandos signify chaos on “My Reminder” or how the use of tremolos sets a discordant scene in “Out Of Myself” makes me want to pick up the viola again.
I suspect a lot of disappointment in this record comes from it being a successor to
Brat or from the mixed response to the movie (which I’ve yet to see). Existing in a vacuum though,
Wuthering Heights is a grand success, and I’m more than happy for Charli XCX to continue making whatever career moves she wants.
