Ella Mitchell, Photography Editor
Charli xcx’s “Wuthering Heights” album was released as a companion to the new “Wuthering Heights” adaptation released Valentine’s Day and directed by Emerald Fennell of “Saltburn” fame.
Eight of the 12 tracks on the album appear in the “Wuthering Heights” movie which is, arguably, an interesting choice juxtaposing an adaptation of a Victorian gothic novel with Charli xcx’s club/pop sound, but we’re not here to discuss what did and did not work in the highly contentious “Wuthering Heights” adaptation.
The album starts with “House” featuring John Cale which had been made famous by TikTok as a joke prior to the album’s release. It’s unique, with a darker, disturbing tone and spoken dialogue from John Cale before Charli’s vocals kick in. Separating the song from its fame as a TikTok phenomenon is hard, but it’s ultimately a distinctive listening experience.
The second track, “Wall of Sound”, begins with an ominous violin reminiscent of a horror movie. The unsettling quality of the song continues through Charli’s vocals which creates a contrast between Charli’s filtered voice and more orchestral instrumentals.
“Dying for You” appears third on Charli’s album and later on the list of songs slated to be used in the movie. It is much more upbeat than the two previous songs and sounds a lot like the music Charli xcx has recently gained fame for.
Also included in “Wuthering Heights” and encompassing a much softer, romantic sound is “Always Everywhere.” This song is really pretty and feels immersive to listen to. This song is representative of the adaptation Emerald Fennell was trying to convey in the movie, and I can understand how it fits within the film’s aesthetic (separated from the original source material greatly, though). It is one of my favorites on the album.
“Chains of Love” is my favorite of the songs on this album. I think it blends Charli’s unique sound with the intimate, slower elements of the film. Because of this, the track can be named as one the best out of all the pieces on the album.
Track six on the album, “Out of Myself” is the first on the album not to be included in the movie. It reminds me of a hybrid between the “Bridgerton” pop instrumental songs and Charli’s “Brat” album. I could see listening to it while driving on a summer day, and it is definitely fun to listen to. But this song is not my favorite of the album. “Out of Myself” again calls on string instruments to create a coherent sound throughout the course of the album.
“Open Up,” the seventh track on the album has an instrumental with the vibe of an aquarium, with Charli’s vocals overlaid with her usual filtered sound. It is relatively short and includes more vocalizations than actual lyrics. In the context of the movie and Fennell’s dreamy and psychedelic aesthetic, I can understand why “Open Up” is included on the album, but it is a skip for me.
“Seeing Things” is very similar to “Out of Myself” but is not included in the movie. Again, there is a heavy use of string instruments combined with a more pop-style beat and feels reminiscent of some of Charli’s other music. Personally, I get the vibes of the “Bridgerton” pop instrumentals with this song once more. Hopefully, upon listening to the album, the resemblance I’m pointing out will be noticeable to you as well.
The ninth track, “Altars,” is listed to be used in the movie as well. It is apparent upon listening to this song that string instrumentals are becoming the trademark of the album. Again, the strings mixed with Charli’s pop style creates a unique listening experience. I can definitely see myself listening to this album while traveling, but I don’t know if it will become a favorite like “Brat” and some of Charli’s other, more original music.
“Eyes of the World” is the tenth track and features American synth-pop singer-songwriter Sky Ferreira. The song is not included in the film and starts out again with ominous instrumentation and an echo effect that is captivating, especially when listening through headphones. It does feel a little bit Taylor Swift-y, though, with its pop elements, and is the longest track on the album at three minutes and 43 seconds.
Not included in the movie is “My Reminder,” and it is very similar to the rest of the tracks on the album. I have noticed, however, that most of the songs on this album that are not included in the movie feel a bit more ‘pop’ and appear to have more of a beat to them while still maintaining string elements that are undeniably part of the through line of the album.
The final song on the album is “Funny Mouth.” The track is both beautiful and unnerving at the same time. I feel that the song is the perfect way to end the album as it builds continuously throughout and includes a lot of the same musical motifs that have been present throughout the rest of the album. “Funny Mouth” is in the movie and fits well with the aesthetic as designed by Fennell. I loved this song and would probably rank it within my top three favorites of the album.
Overall, I think the album is interesting for those who already have a liking for Charli xcx’s particular sound. The album is a blend of romantic, synth tones, dark and unsettling instrumentations, and Charli xcx’s iconic auto-tuned, filtered vocal sound. “Wuthering Heights” is definitely less upbeat pop than “Brat”, but it is still uniquely representative of Charli xcx’s sound as an artist.