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Dec 15, 2014 Charli XCX By Patrick Bowman

We should all be pretty happy that Hot 100 success has done very little to change Charli XCX. After teaming up with hip-hop lightning rod Iggy Azalea for the semi-song-of-the-summer in “Fancy,” it was easy to discern that the best part of that track was Charli’s bratty, dramatic earworm chorus, and not the mediocre, ghostwritten rhymes from Azalea. The chorus most certainly recalled the best parts of Charli’s insanely fun 2013 official debut release True Romance, an album which could have easily done some damage on the charts if it was released after the international success of “Fancy.” If anything, greater big label exposure has allowed Charli to lock in on an expansive synth pop sound that isn’t quite as goth as her work used to be.

For her second album Sucker (third album if you include 14, her commercially unreleased debut), Charli has created a shotgun blast of EDM-heavy pop that doesn’t feel formulaic like so many other major label releases that look to blow up dance floors. If there’s a template for Suckers, it’s Charli’s arguably most fun song to date, the one that she wrote and gave to another act—Icona Pop’s stadium anthem “I Love It.” The 1-2-3 punch of “Sucker,” “Break the Rules,” and “London Queen” starts the record off at a breathless pace that only slightly fades over 12 songs. “London Queen,” in particular, gleams brightly like an electro-clash cover of “Since U Been Gone,” all chugging electric guitar lines and revving BPMs as Charli effortlessly fills in the gaps with her tightly woven lyrics. Back-half tracks like the stomping monster “Hanging Around” and the moody ‘80s sheen of lead single “Boom Clap” also provide highlights for what is a damn fine album from Charli XCX, one that doesn’t waste any time getting to the sugary center of the London chanteuse’s signature dance pop. (www.charlixcxmusic.com)

Author rating: 7/10