Rating: 8.5/10

The debut album from 20 year old singer Clairo, highlights her killer songwriting ability, as she emotively and intimately sings of love and heartbreak over, unconventional yet well-produced beats.

‘Immunity’ is an eleven track project carried by Clairo’s heavenly voice that floats across synth-infused instrumentals. The singer, who got her start on YouTube writing and recording tracks in her bedroom, is now signed to FADER and has former Vampire Weekend member Rostam as an executive producer on the project. Despite this change, Immunity keeps the intimate and personal nature which caused her earlier songs like ‘Flaming Hot Cheetos’ to gain notoriety online.

‘Closer To You’ was one of the first singles released ahead of this album and it’s definitely my favourite. I adore the electronic backing track, the self-harmonising of Clairo’s own voice, as well as the vocoder effect used in the verses. Clairo has a gift at truly making you believe every lyric and emotion detailed throughout the album. I can’t think of another artist at the moment who puts their heart and soul into their music as much as Clairo has on this album.

It was only upon researching Clairo for this review that I learnt she has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, a rare form of arthritis she was diagnosed with at age 17. The condition often left her unable to walk due to extreme pain in her joints, but she found solace in her music. She discusses her illness on a few different tracks, but covers the topic more deeply on the heartbreaking closer to the album ‘I Wouldn’t Ask You‘.

The final track of the album is nearly seven minutes in length, comprising of two different parts. The first half is from her perspective in hospital, talking to a partner who is having to take care of her. The choruses in this part of the track are supported by a kids choir, which make the repeated line “I wouldn’t ask you to take care of me,” all the more intense and emotional. In the second half of the track, the beat changes to a more up-beat R&B style instrumental, as Clairo sings without the constrictions of her arthritis, more deeply about her love for her partner.

Obviously, given the subject matter of most of the tracks on ‘Immunity‘, it isn’t an up-beat happy album, but at the same time it really isn’t a depressing project to listen to. The track ‘Bags‘ for example is describing the struggles of being in a one-sided relationship, but the song has a super catchy chorus, with classic Vampire Weekend style guitars and a penetrating piano overlay, which works to juxtapose the heartbreaking lyrical content.

At risk of just listing every song on the album, other standout tracks include the R&B/pop style love song ‘Softly‘ and the track ‘Impossible‘ which features backing vocals from singer Danielle Haim. Every track on the project adds something different and is just as diverse instrumentally.

Clairo’s debut album is a near-perfect project. Her style is unique, personal and intimate, and the production and instrumentation is slick and has layered, without losing the distinctive tone of her earlier material. She’s not even twenty-one yet, but Clairo is soon to be a star and I can’t wait to see her blow up.