Charli XCX - Wuthering Heights Review
A glossy, gothic-tinged detour that pairs Charli’s pop instincts with cinematic ambition, even if it never quite unleashes its full dramatic potential.
As someone who would describe themselves as an Emerald Fennel sceptic, it is important that I don’t let my overall thoughts on the film infiltrate this review of the soundtrack by Charli XCX. Sigh. Alas, the year of Charli has extended from a summer in 2024 to a slew of film roles, starring in a Gregg Araki film and the Julia Jackman fantasy piece. She’s even got her own music mockumentary a la Spinal Tap in the form of ‘The Moment’, chronicling the behind the scenes of the brat tour. You can’t avoid the power of Charli in pop culture at the moment. It makes sense, in this regard, that she teamed up with producer and frequent collaborator Finn Keane in order to deliver a pulse-driven, emotionally charged soundtrack that mirrors the heightened visions of Emerald Fennel’s ‘Wuthering Heights’.
The opening track and first single release ‘House’ is a coming together of two great minds from different eras of music. John Cale’s delivery of what is essentially a poem he wrote after Charli reached out to him is glum and ominous, reflective of a mind that feels confined to the same perimeters on a daily basis, losing its grasp on reality by the day. “Am I living in another world?/Another world I created/For what? /If it's beauty, do you see beauty? /If there's beauty, say it's enough” precedes the screeching refrain sung by himself and Charli, an acceptance of the narrator’s circumstances.
‘Wall of Sound’ plays around with Charli’s vocal range, layering her voice for an echoing effect that fits this haunting, ghostly theme that sits within the soundtrack as well as the film. Mellow violins pair with lyrics constructed from a place of yearning, building towards a crescendo before the track muffles itself in its climax.
‘Dying For You’ is a meeting of dance music and classical arrangements, reminiscent of some of the sounds accomplished on Rosalia’s recent album ‘Lux’, in all the best ways possible. Fans of Finn Keane will recognise nods to his solo production style on the track, the distorted synths at the end carrying a euphoric feeling emblematic of the joy peaks of romance at its best.
‘Chains of Love’ sees Charli enter eighties power ballad territory, boasting a vocal performance mixed with dramatic, percussive drums and soft strings that make this track one of the standout moments of the album.
The length of most of the tracks, barring the last three, is short, however, which means ideas are introduced, entertained, and quickly ushered out, giving little air for the drama and tension on which this album constantly teeters. Every crescendo is followed by a quick transition into the next track, in place of building towards something that bursts and leaves you on the floor, something which I feel both Charli and Finn Keane are more than capable of achieving. ‘House’ is a perfect example of this playing with tension and creation of dramatics, but the album falls short of it with its subsequent tracks. Whilst the production is undeniably strong and the ethos of Emerald Fennel’s film is even surpassed, there was so much room to completely subvert expectations that ultimately feels unfulfilled.
Still, it remains an intriguing extension of Charli’s artistic orbit and a worthy listen if you seek further integration into her world. It is fun seeing her pivot and challenge herself artistically, even if it is for a film ‘adaptation’ that I don’t personally champion.