Released: 2013

Genres: Synthpop, Electropop

The Musiquarium’s True Romance Review Score: 7 out of 10

Named after the 1993 Quentin Tarantino-written and Tony Scott-directed film True Romance, British singer Charli xcx’s debut album is eighties synthpop with modern pop sensibilities.

Nuclear Seasons is a solid opener with a slight experimental edge, evoking the spirit of Kate Bush style art pop. You (Ha Ha Ha) has these chopped-up chipmunk vocals in the spirit of Kanye West. Charli ponders how she can fix what she’s fucked up on the introspective How Can I. You’re the One is one of the more banging tunes. There’s also some hip-hop influenced songs like What I Like and Cloud Aura.

True Romance is a decent debut album that shows a lot of potential from Charli xcx, though there’s still a lot of room for improvement.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Charli xcx on Discogs.

Back to the 2013 Album Reviews Guide or the Charli xcx Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard