Key Highlights
- Charli XCX’s “Wuthering Heights” is a reinvention of her sound for the largest audience possible.
- The album blends pop hooks and orchestral chaos, creating an impressive vastness despite its constraints.
- “House,” featuring John Cale, sets a foreboding tone that fits the film’s vibe perfectly.
- “Chains of Love” and “My Reminder” are criticized for being too conventional in their ideas despite their unique sound.
The Soundtrack’s Challenge: Transplanting Pop into Film
Charli XCX, known for her relentless club beats and pop diva status, takes on a new challenge with “Wuthering Heights.” The album serves as a soundtrack to Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel. It’s both an artistic venture and a commercial opportunity, blending the physicality of moors with the electronic energy of strobe-lit arenas.
Charli’s Directness Meets Orchestral Chaos
In “House,” Charli and producer Finn Keane collaborate with John Cale to set an appropriately vague and foreboding tone. The song’s spoken-word narration by Cale poses unanswerable questions about beauty, eternity, and death. This sets the stage for the emotional weight of the album.
Pop Hooks vs. Conventional Payoff
The best tracks on “Wuthering Heights” are those that embrace the brutality of their themes. Songs like “Funny Mouth” and “Wall of Sound” offer a stark contrast to the more conventional pop hits such as “Chains of Love” and “My Reminder.” These latter songs, despite their unique sound, struggle with flat ideas.
Charli’s Chemistry and Songwriting Strengths
“Always Everywhere” is a standout track that elevates romantic clichés through its lapidary-fine detail. The song’s simple premise of constant reminders of a loved one’s face is elevated by Charli’s directness as a songwriter. Other tracks, like “Dying for You” and “Out of Myself,” rely on goth imagery to evoke pain and twisted desire but fall short in terms of emotional depth.
Overall, “Wuthering Heights” showcases Charli XCX’s ability to adapt her sound for a larger audience.
While the album hits some highs, it also misses its mark with conventional pop ideas that fail to match the innovative orchestral arrangements. It remains a worthy companion to Fennell’s film but leaves room for improvement in its execution.
