Starting her early bid for inclusion on the next
Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack, Britain's
Charlotte O'Connor aka
Charlotte OC delivers her dusky, full-length goth-R&B debut, 2017's
Careless People. Produced by Tim Anderson, who previously worked with such similarly inclined contemporaries
Halsey,
Sia,
Banks, and
Solange,
Careless People builds upon the sound of her earlier EPs with a set of über-catchy, sanguinely emotional pop tracks that showcase her throaty, resonant croon. Cuts like the gospel-infused "Darkest Hour," the sultry "Medicine Man," and the yearning "Running Back to You" are deeply cinematic anthems that sound something along the lines of
Kate Bush crossed with
Hurts. Elsewhere, tracks like the exuberantly romantic "Higher" and the shimmering "I Want Your Love" feel tantalizingly like gray-scale versions of
Lady Gaga songs. These are gorgeously rendered productions full of echo-chamber piano, tidal-wave beats, and bassy synths. However, it's
O'Connor's passionate, highly resonant vocal delivery that grabs your attention throughout. Ultimately, there's nothing careless about
Careless People, and
Charlotte OC has crafted a smartly paced album that builds slowly and holds out some of its best moments for the latter half. ~ Matt Collar