It’s always fascinating when the world of pop meets a much darker, more sinister genre of music. Think Olivia Rodrigo sharing the stage with Robert Smith at Glastonbury last summer, or Kylie Minogue joining Nick Cave on ‘Where the Wild Roses Grow’ back in 1995. The new collaborative project from pop royalty Charli XCX and avant-garde pioneer John Cale (The Velvet Underground) adds another unexpected yet brilliant musical partnership to the mix.
‘House’ is the first song to be released from Charli’s upcoming project,Wuthering Heights, an album that will accompany the soon to be released film adaptation of the classic novel. It’s an exceptional piece of music. Cale dominates the majority of the track, reciting an ominous spoken-word monologue accompanied by the haunting echo of strings. A fantastic crescendo of droning electronic instrumentation then erupts, alongside Charli’s iconic distorted vocals screaming, “I think I’m going to die in this house!” It’s creepy, unsettling, and one of the best new releases I’ve heard in a long time. Wuthering Heights indicates a bold new gothic direction for Charli, a complete U-turn from her previous zeitgeist-defining record BRAT. And if ‘House’ is anything to go by, this new era looks incredibly promising.
“Charli XCX 8/23/2014 #8” by jus10h is licensed under CC BY 2.0.