Charli XCX - Emelline/Art Bitch [DOUBLE A SIDE]

XCX Music

Charli XCX sports clothes her dad probably ain't proud of. Charli XCX squirms through lyrics her mum probably ain't proud of. Charli XCX too has had a love affair with all things synth, and she’s even bought the trashy wigs(!) just so we don’t skim past her in the crowd... all, it seems, in an attempt to pump through the current red-hot yet irritatingly exclusive alternative dance scene with her latest double A-side, “Emelline”/”Art Bitch”.

I wouldn’t say that this record pushes the boundaries of her self-written and self-sufficient dance track niche, but Charli XCX flaunts all the trends: cranky bass, jerky drumming and impulsive arm-flinging accompany a squelchy yet capable vocal squeak, polished off by that unshakeable fashion of singing every single syllable in the most Brrritish way. Reading the single’s blurb put me in negative stead and I was prepared for same-old try-hard DIY dance. But the tracks are growing on me.

The 16-year-old Londoner’s talent is showcased well through the double A-side effort – both songs would be weak if released separately but sticking them together ensures the CD glides through Charli’s respectable spectrum of songwriting and fills the hole left by both tracks individually. I’m thrown from the creepy little-girl cries, megaphone overkill and rasping shots of “Emelline” (apparently written about the little girl who dances inside Charli’s head – oh how I can believe it) and collapse onto the appreciated subtlety of melodic “Art Bitch”. The latter seems a bit of an ironic mash-up, lyrically, of all the things Charli XCX aspires to incorporate into the Charli XCX image – “combed hair all over the place”, drinking JD from plastic bottles, outwardly hating big brand fashion & thinking it’s shit, admiring your individuality, ‘cetera, ‘cetera...

The 4 remixes included in the package are those kind of obscure remixes that crop up on iTunes shuffles at drab house parties to lure the drunkards to the dancefloor gone 1am, but if I were one of those hazy souls I dare say I’d have a good jig about as well. Previous comparisons to M.I.A are definitely accurate, and I want to slip a Lily Allen reference in here for some horrible reason, probably just to plug the similarity in singing style. But will Charli XCX stand the test of time? Being so young, I would hope she has more up her sleeve and perhaps doesn’t get so consumed by being the cool kid next time round. Still, it takes a cool kid to judge another cool kid well, so let’s leave it at a gold star for her efforts and a recommendation to check Charli XCX out if you’re not quite sure where the scene is at right now; Charli XCX will provide all the answers. The Charli XCX Myspace says she likes dinosaur sex too, if you’re into that.

www.myspace.com/charlixcx