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Sling (album)

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Sling
Studio album by
Clairo
ReleasedJuly 16, 2021 (2021-07-16)
RecordedAutumn 2020
Studio
Genre
Length44:33
Label
Producer
Clairo chronology
Immunity
(2019) 		Sling
(2021) 		Charm
(2024)
Singles from Sling
  1. "Blouse"
    Released: June 11, 2021

Sling is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Clairo. It was released on July 16, 2021, through Fader and Republic. It serves as the follow-up to her debut album, Immunity. The album was announced on June 11, 2021, alongside the release of the lead single, "Blouse".[1][2][3][4]

After its release, Sling received widespread critical acclaim by music critics, praising a noticeable expansion in Clairo's vocals, and the maturity of her songwriting. The album was a commercial success, debuting at number 17 on the US Billboard 200, making it her first top 20 album.

Background and release

[edit]

In April 2020, it was reported that Clairo had begun work on her follow-up to Immunity when she shared a screenshot of a playlist titled 'Album 2 (demos so far)'. One demo, titled 'february 15, 2020 london, uk (demo)', dates back to February 2020 and another titled 'Everything I Know' from the beginning of April.[5] In the writing process, Clairo admitted that "Joanie, my dog, opened up my world in ways I didn't think were capable. By caring for her, it forced me to face my own thoughts about parenthood and what it would mean to me."[6] Having started writing in July 2020, Clairo revealed that "Reaper" was the first song she wrote for the record, and had then recorded approximately 35 of its demos thereafter.[7]: 00:51 

The recording of Sling took place during autumn 2020 at Allaire Recording Studios in upstate New York,[8][9] and was completed at Electric Lady Studios in New York City.[10] Prior to the announcement of Sling, Clairo provided background vocals on Lorde's song "Solar Power" alongside Phoebe Bridgers. On June 11, 2021, Clairo released the lead single of the album, "Blouse", which features background vocals from Lorde.[3] Our Culture named "Blouse" one of the best songs for the week of June 14, 2021.[11] The song was performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[12] In 2022, she embarked on the Sling Tour, with Arlo Parks as an opening act. [13]

Composition

[edit]

Sling has been described as a vintage pop,[14] acoustic folk,[15] folk rock,[16] baroque pop,[17] and chamber folk record.[18] Rolling Stone reporter Jonathan Bernstein deemed it a concept album about "aging and feeling older than you ought to".[19] "Blouse" has been described as a folk tune and "crushing ballad" where Clairo sings over a "hushed acoustic guitar" as well as "orchestral swings".[20][21] Clairo's vocals become louder in the song mix as the track progresses and includes backing vocals performed by Lorde.[6]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.9/10[22]
Metacritic84/100[23]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[24]
The A.V. ClubA−[18]
Clash9/10[25]
Gigwise[17]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[15]
NME[26]
The Observer[27]
Pitchfork7.4/10[28]
Rolling Stone[19]
Slant[16]

Sling received critical acclaim upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 84, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 21 reviews.[23]

The Line of Best Fit writer Jay Singh described the record to contain relatable themes like "yearning for stability, grappling with our mortality, and striving to treat ourselves with care". He noted that Cotrill handles the heavy topics of "Blouse" and "Just for Today" with "grace and nuance far beyond her years". He concluded the review about how "Cottrill can take solace in knowing she’s created something timeless".[15]

Jem Aswad from Variety called the album a "vintage pop triumph". He also wrote that Clairo "advanced dramatically as a singer". He noted that record producer Rostam Batmanglij, on Immunity would load echo on her voice for compensation of her limited range but on Sling, her and Jack Antonoff have multi-tracked her voice that has "delicately layered harmonies". He said that the record featured baroque touches with vintage keyboards, Wurlitzer electric piano, and a string quartet.[14]

Accolades

[edit]
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Dork Dork's Albums of 2021
31
[29]
Evening Standard The best albums of 2021 —
[30]
The Guardian The 50 best albums of 2021
29
[31]
The Line of Best Fit The Best Albums of 2021 Ranked
30
[32]
NME The 50 best albums of 2021
14
[33]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2021
19
[34]
Uproxx The Best Albums Of 2021 —
[35]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bambi"
4:37
2."Amoeba"
  • Cottrill
  • Antonoff
3:48
3."Partridge"
  • Cottrill
  • Antonoff
3:13
4."Zinnias"
  • Cottrill
  • Antonoff
2:54
5."Blouse"Cottrill3:15
6."Wade"Cottrill4:46
7."Harbor"
  • Cottrill
  • Sam Baker
4:24
8."Just for Today"Cottrill3:37
9."Joanie"
  • Cottrill
  • Antonoff
4:45
10."Reaper"Cottrill2:39
11."Little Changes"
  • Cottrill
  • Antonoff
2:40
12."Management"Cottrill3:48
Total length:44:33

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

  • Clairo – vocals, production (all tracks), electric guitar (1–3, 12), piano (1–3, 6, 7, 9–12), Wurlitzer electric piano (1–3, 9–11), Kalimba (2, 6), Hammond B3 (3), 12-string acoustic guitar (4), acoustic guitar (4, 8, 10), keyboards, Mellotron, synthesizer (7); vibraphone (7, 12), clavichord (9), clapping (10)
  • Jack Antonoff – production (all tracks), bass (1–7, 10, 11), clavichord (1, 2), electric guitar (1–6, 9–12), drums (1–4, 6, 7, 9, 11), Mellotron (1, 5–8, 11, 12), piano (1, 7, 10), 12-string acoustic guitar (2, 4, 6, 7), acoustic guitar (2, 4, 6, 7, 9), fretless bass (2, 4), Moog bass (2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12), programming (2), slide guitar (2, 5, 11, 12), Wurlitzer electric piano (2, 3, 6, 12), acoustic bass guitar (4, 12), lap steel guitar (4, 6), synthesizer (4, 5), strings conductor (5, 8), Kalimba (6), upright bass (6, 7, 10), Rhodes piano (12)
  • Evan Smith – flute, saxophones (1, 2, 4–7, 10, 12); synthesizer (1, 4, 5), clarinet (4, 6, 7, 12), violin (7)
  • Lorde – background vocals (5, 10)
  • Eric Byers – cello (5)
  • Bobby Hawk – violin (5, 8, 12)
  • Sam Baker – acoustic guitar, Kalimba, lute, ukulele (6); piano, production (7)
  • Jake Passmore – acoustic bass guitar (7), acoustic guitar (7, 12), background vocals (12)
  • Joanie Cottrill – percussion (9)

Technical

  • Chris Gehringer – mastering engineer
  • Jack Antonoff – mixer, recording engineer
  • Laura Sisk – mixer (1–4, 6, 7, 10–12), recording engineer (1–8, 10–12)
  • John Rooney – recording engineer (4–6, 8, 9, 11), assistant recording engineer (1–3, 7, 10, 12)
  • Sam Baker – recording engineer (6, 7, 12)
  • Will Quinnell – assistant mastering engineer
  • Shubham Mondal – assistant recording engineer (2, 4, 8, 9, 11)

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Sling
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[36] 88
Irish Albums (IRMA)[37] 65
Scottish Albums (OCC)[38] 16
UK Albums (OCC)[39] 73
US Billboard 200[40] 17

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Sacher, Andrew (June 11, 2021). "Clairo announces Jack Antonoff-produced LP 'Sling,' shares song ft. Lorde". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  2. ^ Young, Alex (June 11, 2021). "Clairo announces new album Sling, shares "Blouse": Stream". Consequence. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Langford, Jackson (June 11, 2021). "Clairo announces new album 'Sling', drops lead single 'Blouse'". NME. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  4. ^ Bloom, Madison (June 11, 2021). "Clairo Announces New Album Sling, Shares New Song "Blouse": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  5. ^ Langford, Jackson (April 13, 2020). "Clairo reveals she's returned to work on her new album". NME. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Farrell, Margaret (June 11, 2021). "Clairo Announces Sophomore Album With Devastating New Song "Blouse"". Flood Magazine. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  7. ^ Wilkinson, Matt (July 16, 2021). "Clairo: 'Sling' and Exploring Uncomfortable Thoughts | Apple Music". Apple Music. YouTube. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  8. ^ Samways, Gemma (July 13, 2021). "Clairo: 'This industry drains young women until they're not youthful any more'". The Guardian. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  9. ^ Daly, Rhian (July 16, 2021). "Clairo: "I was too scared to think domesticity could be something I crave"". NME. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  10. ^ "Clairo and Jack Antonoff Break Down Clairo's New Song 'Amoeba'". Rolling Stone. YouTube. August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  11. ^ Pappis, Konstantinos (June 14, 2021). "This Week's Best New Songs: Megan Thee Stallion, Clairo, W. H. Lung, and More". Our Culture. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  12. ^ "Clairo Performs New Song "Blouse" On Thursday's "Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" (Watch Now)". Headline Planet. June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  13. ^ Strauss, Matthew (July 20, 2021). "Clairo Announces 2022 Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Aswad, Jem (July 16, 2021). "Clairo's 'Sling' Is a Vintage Pop Triumph: Album Review". Variety. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  15. ^ a b c Singh, Jay (July 16, 2021). "Sling is a true testament to Clairo's masterful songwriting talents". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Cinquemani, Sal (July 16, 2021). "Review: Clairo's Sling is a virtuosic but sonically folk-rock record". Slant. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  17. ^ a b England, Adam (July 16, 2021). "Album Review: Clairo - Sling". Gigwise. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  18. ^ a b Sanchez, Gabrielle (July 17, 2021). "Clairo's Sling paves a brilliantly inspired and elegantly orchestrated road to comfort". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Bernstein, Jonathan (July 16, 2021). "Clairo Raises the Stakes on the Adventurous 'Sling'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  20. ^ Sowing (July 17, 2021). "Review: Clairo — Sling". Sputnik Music. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  21. ^ Martoccio, Angie (June 11, 2021). "Clairo Drops Crushing Ballad 'Blouse' With Backing Vocals by Lorde". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  22. ^ "Sling by Clairo reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  23. ^ a b "Sling by Clairo Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  24. ^ Donelson, Marcy (July 16, 2021). "Clairo - Sling". AllMusic. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  25. ^ Fynn, Jessica (July 16, 2021). "Clairo - Sling". Clash. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  26. ^ Dly, Rhian (July 15, 2021). "Clairo – 'Sling' review: meditations on motherhood inspired by '70s greats". NME. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  27. ^ Joshi, Tara (July 18, 2021). "Clairo: Sling review – a cinematic delight". The Observer. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  28. ^ Zhang, Cat (July 19, 2021). "Clairo: Sling Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  29. ^ "Dork's Albums of 2021". Dork. December 31, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  30. ^ Smyth, David (December 21, 2021). "The best albums of 2021, from Dave and Arlo Parks to Lana del Rey and Little Simz". Evening Standard. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  31. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". The Guardian. December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  32. ^ "The Best Albums of 2021 Ranked". The Line of Best Fit. December 6, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  33. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2021". NME. December 10, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  34. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2021". Stereogum. December 6, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  35. ^ "The Best Albums Of 2021". Uproxx. November 29, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  36. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 26 July 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1638. Australian Recording Industry Association. July 26, 2021. p. 6.
  37. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Clairo". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  38. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  39. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  40. ^ @billboardcharts (July 25, 2021). "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200 (1/4)..." (Tweet). Retrieved July 26, 2021 – via Twitter.
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