| & the Charm | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 28, 2023 (2023-04-28) | |||
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| Length | 39:00 | |||
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| Avalon Emerson chronology | ||||
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& the Charm (also known as Avalon Emerson & the Charm[1]) is the debut studio album by American electronic music producer Avalon Emerson, released on April 28, 2023, through Another Dove and One House Records. It was co-produced by English producer Bullion and received acclaim from critics.
Emerson began working on the album during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 at her Los Angeles home with wife Hunter Lombard, and then traveled to London to co-produce the album with English producer Bullion (Nathan Jenkins).[2] Emerson created a side-project band called the Charm with Lombard, Bullion, and friend Keivon Hobeheidar to attribute the album to.[3]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 80/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 8/10[1] |
| MusicOMH |   [3] |
| NME | [5] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10[6] |
| Uncut | 7/10[7] |
| The Wire | [8] |
& the Charm received a score of 80 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on seven critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[4] Josh Crowe of Clash called it "a distinct strain of synth-pop that takes inspiration from avant-pop auteurs" that "still features snippets of sound linked to her live sets, but crucially the LP focuses on a new kind of songcraft and features Emerson's voice".[1] Uncut wrote that "Bullion's smooth, rounded sound burnishes what is a dynamic collection of songs",[7] while The Wire felt that "& the Charm will find favour with anyone into Cocteau Twins, dreamy bedroom synthpop and anything Balearic. 'Entombed in Ice' feels nostalgic but fresh, Emerson's vocals floating effortlessly overhead".[8]
Pitchfork's Anna Gaca commented that "the lucid dream-pop ditties of & the Charm take in the misty-eyed gaze of Japanese city pop, the slow-mo fireworks of shoegaze, the gentle sea spray of Balearic house, the jangly collage aesthetic of Saint Etienne".[6] Ben Devlin of MusicOMH found it to be "decidedly less club-oriented than her previous work, focusing more on songcraft and Emerson's ethereal vocals" with the tracks "hav[ing] a whimsical feel to them, at times borrowing from shoegaze and at other times disco, old-school electro and 2-step garage".[3] Ben Jolley of NME felt that while most of the album "consists of incredibly catchy, radio-friendly pop songs" it is "on the whole sonically softer than her solo releases" and several tracks "still retain a club-friendly undercurrent".[5] Sophie McNulty of Resident Advisor described the album as "musically soft and floaty, although there's a dark tint to her lyrics".[9]
Exclaim! ranked it the 17th best album of 2023, with the publication's Alex Hudson writing that "when the vibes are heavenly, the clear-eyed lyrics and sweaty dance pulse keep & the Charm anchored here on Earth".[10] Gorilla vs. Bear ranked it the 19th best album of the year,[11] while Pitchfork ranked it the 30th best.[12]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sandrail Silhouette" | 4:29 |
| 2. | "Entombed in Ice" | 3:12 |
| 3. | "A Vision" | 4:02 |
| 4. | "Astrology Poisoning" | 3:39 |
| 5. | "The Stone" | 2:35 |
| 6. | "Dreamliner" | 5:13 |
| 7. | "Hot Evening" | 4:01 |
| 8. | "Karaoke Song" | 3:32 |
| 9. | "A Dam Will Always Divide" | 8:53 |
| Total length: | 39:00 | |
