Once upon a time Charli XCX distinguished herself with adventurous electropop thanks to collaborations with bubblegum bass artist such as SOPHIE. On CRASH she leaves this past behind for a dose of cookie cutter dance-pop.
One can discover barely anything noteworthy, despite the likes of A.G. Cook and Dylan Brady in the gargantuan list of credits. In this polished product for the masses every auto-tuned voice cuts to the chase and the arrangements exhibit just the right amount of flair.
Charli XCX may sing about breaking the rules on “Every Rule”, but tracks like “New Shapes” driven by a roaring synthesizer don’t adhere to that spirit. She opts for bland joy over the intriguing futuristic dimension of her mixtape Pop 2 (2017).
At least she and Rina Sawayama sing euphorically over a gripping keyboard melody on the banger “Beg for You”. At its blandest the album rips from the 1990s hit “Show Me Love” for a watertight track targeted at the clubs (“Used to Know”).
It all too often veers too close to a pop diva like Katy Perry. It makes the choice between CRASH or Sucker (2014) as Charli XCX’s weakest album a tough choice.
Rating: Avoid