Charley released her debut album The Chronicles of a Serial Idealist this week.
This gorgeous pop album relays stories from the past few years of Charley’s life and relationships whilst coming to terms with the realisation that viewing the world through rose tinted glasses isn’t always for the best. The album traces the course of this emotional journey, seeing her gradually shed her serial idealist identity as you move through the record.
Speaking on the album Charley shares: “At its core ‘The Chronicles of a Serial Idealist’ is about understanding that life is too short to pour your energy into people who don’t give that same care back. Sometimes, you have to accept things for what they are. This album holds heartbreak, growth, healing, and the hope that carried me through it all, because without hope, life would be so bitter.”
Lyrically, the Serial Idealist dominates the dreamy, synth soaked opening track Muscle Memory: “but when it comes to you I’m idolising what we got. Maybe it’s naive, but I don’t give a fuck” truly reflecting that unwavering optimism.
By the time the album gets around to Other Side of the Room you can start to feel the mood shift. Focusing on the idea of invisible strings and never being able to avoid your ex after a break up, it’s got “moving to Saskatchewan vibes” (and as someone who made the initial decision to move to Melbourne a few weeks after breaking up with my ex, I solidly relate). Charley confesses she was a “sad little girl” when she wrote this one and you can hear the emotional depth start to really build through the record from this point as the other feelings start to become more deeply entangled with the eternal optimism.
And by the album’s conclusion with The End of Everything the serial optimist has well and truly left the building (“The End of Everything. The world’s gonna burn and burst into flames”). But it’s not a sad ending to this chapter. Charley’s not now at the point of full cynicism – overall you’re left with a hopeful picture, of the idea that sometimes things do suck and you need to accept bad situations for what they are, but also, that you’ll be ok.
The production on this album is so glorious, every sound, every layer feels like it’s deliberate, carefully placed to augment the song and the mood – which isn’t something you see in a lot of debuts. Maybe it’s just because I’m a massive music nerd but this clean pop sound is what initially enamoured me with this album.
It was only when I was on the second or third full listen that I recognised the depth of the song writing and the gift Charley has to be able to create such vivid, emotional stories from her experiences. She has this ability to make the themes of her songs so relatable, and I love that this album can be a record to both sing and dance along to as well as one to accompany you while you have a good cry in your bedroom.
I’ve already spoken a little about my favourites on the album in my interview with Charley last week. I think Boys Scare Me will always be the track that resonates most deeply with me and Lil Rockstar’s catchy chorus is permanently stuck in my head at this point. I also love title track Serial Idealist for its dreamy pop sounds. I really like how Charley switches up the vocals in this song too from light and airy to something much more powerful, making for a memorable and striking track.
Charley will be taking the album on the road next month. Check out the details below.
Tour Info
CHARLEY TOUR DATES – CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS/TICKETS
May 15 – Brightside – Brisbane, QLD
May 16 – The Night Cat – Melbourne, VIC
May 22 – Oxford Art Factory – Sydney, NSW
May 23 – King Street – Newcastle, NSW
Listen to the album here