Three months after dropping her highly acclaimed album “Charm”, Claire Elizabeth Cottrill, more notably known by her stage name, Clairo, has followed up her stream of success with a new single titled “Love Songs.” Released on Oct. 8, 2024, the single itself is a cover of a song written and performed by Margo Guryan on her 1968 album, “Take A Picture.”

“Love Songs” adopts the reminiscent mellow, lo-fi beats mixed with lyrics of hopeless romanticism and loneliness that many of Clairo’s songs are known for. The cover keeps in touch with the style of Clairo’s musicianship that it can easily be mistaken for as an unreleased song off of any of her albums. In some ways, the ambience and the tone of the song harkens back to her earlier works in “Sling” and “Amoeba.”

While the original take by Guryan had a more psychedelic, bubble-gum pop feel reminiscent of many hits from the 1960s, Clairo wastes no time developing the song into her own. The listener is immediately greeted with a melodious bass line common in lo-fi music today, along with a synthesizer riff almost evocative of Mort Garson’s “Plantasia.” Along with the prominent use of snares with a few piano notes, the single entwines itself with the music production of the 1970s, bringing to mind soothing acts such as The Carpenters and The Beach Boys.

The song’s lyrics include many of the themes that Clairo has continued to croon about throughout the years, particularly about tragic romance. The subject of heartache and longing, expressed through ironic lines such as, “Pretty songs always make me cry”, and, “I was crying in the sunshine” have been seen in many of her previous works such as “Bambi” and “bubble gum.” Just like in the original song, Clairo’s euphonic lamentation about being at odds with love juxtaposes with the upbeat musical arrangements generating a lullaby that can be felt to by joyful and downtrodden listeners.

Some may argue that the song is analogous to many songs Clairo has worked on in the past both lyrically and tunefully. However, the entire point of covering “Love Songs” is to pay homage to the artist Margo Guryan. As a singer-songwriter, Guryan penned many 1960s hits such as “Sunday Mornin” and “Think of Rain,” which were extensively covered by famous artists such as Glen Campbell and Cass Elliot. She briefly fell out of prominence for years but later resurged during the 1990s, becoming an inspiration for many bedroom artists today.

Clairo’s cover of “Love Songs” serves as a testament to the lasting influence Guryan has on lo-fi and indie musicians alike. Its sentimental value conjoined with contemporary relaxing beats creates the perfect song to listen for both hopeless romantics and casual listeners.

“Love Songs” by Clairo is part of twelve songs paying tribute to the works of Guryan, with a compilation album titled “Like Someone I Know: A Celebration of Guryan” set to be released by Sub Pop on Nov. 8th, 2024. 

Verdict: A beautiful tribute to Margo Guryan, “Love Song,” fits right into Clairo’s discography blending perfectly with her indie sound.

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