Making laidback, perfectly worn-in tunes that sound effortless is a shockingly hard thing to master. Claire “Clairo” Cottrill perfected that art in her late teens, becoming a YouTube icon in 2017 on the strength of her spare, huskily murmured mantras—pop ballads that transformed homemade loops into sweet reveries. Even more impressive: she’s managed to preserve the guileless understatement of her early tracks in the cleverly calibrated songs she’s produced with assists from indie heavyweights like Rostam and Dave Fridmann. Sophisticated synth grooves, scuffed-up, washed-out guitars, and gently insistent rhythms make her quiet gems subtle jams.
