REVIEW: Charlotte Lawrence’s ‘Somewhere’ Takes Us Through the Motions
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY IVONA HOMICIANU ☆
SOMEWHERE IS A TESTAMENT TO LOVE, YOUTH AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN—Released in June, the album by Charlotte Lawrence combines pop, rock and indie in a masterful manner. While the sound is cohesive, each song has a unique production and atmosphere. Somewhere explores inner emotions and relationships—not only to others, but to the inner self as well.
The Los Angeles born singer-songwriter and model began her musician journey as a child, when she learned to sing and play piano. Throughout her career, she released two EPs, Young (2019) and Charlotte (2021), along with a high number of singles. She has gained popularity featuring on the soundtrack of 13 Reasons Why with “Falling Skies” with YUNGBLUD and the soundtrack of Birds of Prey with “Joke’s On You.” A lot of her songs are not within a project, which brings to question the importance of taking one’s time when creating an album.
From the first notes of the title track, a melancholic atmosphere surrounds us. Charlotte Lawrence’s brittle voice takes a turn with the production. The grittiness is apparent not even a minute in, which fits the subject matter at hand. “Somewhere” is about someone who made a mistake, and they’re trying to cling onto their loved one, but they’re only making it worse. There’s a duality in the lyrics, where the listener doesn’t know if the specific events described happened, or if they’re a metaphor for self-sabotage.
The second track “Us Three” doesn’t give us time before it begins. The production is composed of slow guitar stringing, but changes when the meaning of the title is put in context: “One, two, you and me / One, two, then it was us three.” With a haunting echo, the guitar stops for a second before picking up again faster. The synth joins the melody, as Lawrence takes on a vulnerable approach to her vocals. Although she is trying to convince herself that her partner isn’t seeing someone else, the chorus shows the truth. It examines the process of leaving denial behind. As we near the final chorus, drums join in, making us feel the emotional weight of the situation. Lawrence is ingenious when it comes to transferring her emotions to her singing and taking us with her on this emotional rollercoaster.
“Bodybag” looks at the betrayal with hindsight, admitting to the other person that forgiveness is on the table, as long as they’re present and showing that they still love her. It is a moving piano ballad, Lawrence using her high register to make for a compelling performance.
The next song combines both strings and piano. In “Hollywould”, Lawrence continues singing in her wistful tone. The artist explained on her Instagram that the song is about “being young and making mistakes, and falling in love, and being innocent but also dangerous.” The play on the word “Hollywood” and the sentence “Holly would” shows a distinction between public perception and expectation versus the reality of a person, a subject which will return later on under another name title track. Although the production remains stable, it gains a new dimension with the added violins. Lawrence’s haunting vocals that we hear in the background take the front seat with the pre-chorus, and the bridge that follows sees the violin more prominent than before, ending on a violin solo.
“I Don’t Wanna Dance” is one of the artist’s long standing singles—hearing it in the context of the album, it makes sense why it made the cut. Starting with a string pattern that sounds like a time bomb, Lawrence begins to sing softly in a confessional manner, before launching into the chorus that explores the melancholia and sadness of feeling alienated from your situation. Whether it’s about wanting to wallow in sadness on the dance floor or accepting the ending of a relationship, this track is mournful.
“Better Than This” is straightforward and catchy. With a production that leans heavily on drums, the song follows the footsteps of the pop-rock atmosphere set by the title track “Somewhere.” Lyrically, she ties the bridge of this track to the chorus of the latter: “Laughter, I remember laughter” (“Better Than This”) / “I can hear laughter while you’re still here, the morning after, somewhere” (“Somewhere”).
Lawrence portrays frustration in her interpretation of the lyrics; while she is trying to be understanding of someone’s insecurities, she raises the question of her own happiness, subtly asking for reassurance: “Can you find someone better than this?”
The production takes a step back once again with “Lola,” a song about betrayal. During the string ballad, Lawrence recounts how her relationship to a public figure shifted once they became acquainted. With vocals that portray sorrow and heartache, her intricate emotions transcend onto the listener. It is one of the most vulnerable and powerful tracks on the album, dancing on the line between opening up while creating a distance to the specific situation that inspired the song: “They say don’t meet your heroes, they could break your heart / Never put your passion in a childhood star.”
“Fear of Falling” doesn’t leave much to be assumed, as it explores the fear of falling in love. The subtle piano notes add dimension to the sound, replicating the sensation of physically falling. The lyrics are simple yet effective. They mirror an internal monologue when coming to terms with the reality of falling in love—despite the worry that might bring.
“Dog” is one of the most significant tracks on the album. Not only is it the first deliberate single from the album, but it is also a song that fits the best with Lawrence’s signature style. Similar to the majority of the songs on Somewhere, it’s reckoning with intense emotions through the vessel of music. Her authenticity shines through as she recognizes she’s put herself second to a relationship. The bridge brings catharsis as the line “Screaming so loud I could choke” morphs into a high note, juxtaposed with an honest address to the person the song is about.
Moving onto “Morning,” another one of the singles, Lawrence reconciles the hurt of being cheated on with wondering why she wasn’t enough for this person. Her lyricism paired with her captivating voice shine on this track.
Although strings and drums are present throughout the album, the ones in “Ballerina” have a unique sound. The distorsions and effects on Lawrence’s voice paired with the decisive rhythm make for a standout track. As for the lyrics, it is an address to a younger version of herself. The chorus is moving, a promise that emotions and perceptions of self change.
“Violet Blue” is the true contender for a love song. After going through the motions in “Fear of Falling,” it feels as a natural progression to reach the enchanting ballad “Violet Blue”… that is, until the second half of the song. The instrumental becomes violin lead as happiness turns to heartbreak. Her mantra of “Love is good” turns into a meaningless refrain. What is interesting here is the outro— while the lyrics end in a sudden way with a turn of phrase, from “Love is good” to “Love isn’t good,” the song lingers as if there are no more words to be said, but the emotions need more time to be processed.
The transition into the closing track, “Ophelia,” is smooth as honey. It defines itself as an earnest ballad, with the minimal company of the guitar strings. Lawrence takes center stage as she sings with sorrow over the loss of a relationship that meant more to her than what it truly was. She sings “I’ll try to write you that lullaby now” as she dives into a series of “la-la-las” over her confessions, each lyric becoming more despondent in nature through the progression. Nearing almost five minutes, the ending track is a journey that ends in static.
The beginning and the end of the story told throughout the album are almost the same—heartbreak, cheating, loss and acceptance are weaved in the fabric of the album, creating a time loop that is apparent from the lyrics of the opening track. Lawrence has the feat of approaching universal topics with empathy, which makes her body of work stand out as one of the best releases of the year.
Somewhere is a remarkable debut that shows the artist knows what she wants to say, and how she wants to say it. Her evolution is coherent, with her previous releases paving the way for this project. With an exceptional control of instrumentals and a narrative line that doesn’t shy away from vulnerability, Somewhere is a poignant album that was worth the wait.
