''Super Monster'' is the first studio album by American

bedroom pop Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...

singer Claud, released on February 12, 2021, through

Saddest Factory Records Saddest Factory Records is an American record label that was founded on October 5, 2020, by Phoebe Bridgers. The label operates as an imprint of Dead Oceans and artists that have been signed to the label include Sloppy Jane, MUNA, Claud, and Cha ...

and

Dead Oceans Dead Oceans is an American independent record label formed in 2007 and based in Bloomington, Indiana, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Dead Oceans is part of Secretly Group, which also ...

. It features guest appearances from Nick Hakim,

Melanie Faye Melanie Faye (born May 16, 1998), is an American R&B musician and social media personality. She became known after a video of her guitar playing on Instagram went viral in the summer of 2017. She has since performed with artists such as Noname ...

and Shelly. The album was the first release on

Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has released two solo albums, ''Stranger in the Alps'' (2017) and '' Punisher'' (2020), both of which received critical acclai ...

's Saddest Factory Records and received positive reviews from critics, and charted in Scotland.

Critical reception

''Super Monster'' received a score of 79 out of 100 on review aggregator

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

based on eight critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Marcy Donelson of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

felt that "production touches like varied vocal distortion, warped and woozy delay, and the pull-tab sound effect on 'Pepsi' have the potential to keep listeners alternately hypnotized and playfully provoked" and concluded that Claud does not yet sound "like an artist fully formed", the album is "sweet and full of winsome promise". Megan Walder of '' Clash'' felt differently, stating that ''Super Monster'' arrived with "unwavering confidence as a complete concept; avoiding the risk of being a flippant debut and instead standing concrete thanks to Claud's clear vision". ''

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...

''s Felix Rowe wrote that Claud's "brand of slick, understated pop could sit on a shelf alongside

Haim The name ''Haim'' can be a first name or surname originating in the Hebrew language, or deriving from the Old German name '' Haimo''. Hebrew etymology Chayyim ( he, חַיִּים ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''Ha ...

, or

Christine and the Queens Héloïse Adélaïde Letissier (; born 1 June 1988), known professionally as Christine and the Queens and Redcar, or occasionally simply Chris, is a French singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Nantes, he started learning piano at the age o ...

" and the album "shows promise of a burgeoning artist finding their own voice". Harrison Smith of '' Gigwise'' described ''Super Monster'' as "loaded with non-conformist pop and touching personal narratives" and felt that its "demonstration of both adoration and observation of self-love comfortably invite the listener to do the same". Ian Gormely of '' Exclaim!'' summarized that the album "contains all the usual bedroom pop signifiers—light R&B grooves, chorus-drenched guitars à la

Mac DeMarco MacBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco (born Vernor Winfield MacBriare Smith IV; April 30, 1990) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. DeMarco has released six full-length studio albums, his debut ''Rock and Roll Night C ...

" but that its "beats are crisp, the choruses pronounced and the hooks sharp", and called ''Super Monster'' a "roadmap for anyone hoping to keep to open the bedroom door to the world outside without losing the gauzy comfort of home". Rachel Saywitz of ''

The Line of Best Fit ''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...

'' opined that the album "is able to find that beauty in love's most tragic moments, opening their heart to our ears as a healing gesture" and "the unique identity in each one of the 13 tracks is what makes it such a terrific and arresting listen". Mia Hughes of ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' noted the album "is true to the all-embracing ethos of bedroom pop" and the "honesty and authenticity of tssituations gives the album its emotional resonance, but Claud has the bona fide pop ear to back it up". '' Under the Radar''s Andy von Pip concluded that ''Super Monster'' is "undoubtedly an impressive debut from an immensely talented singer/songwriter".

Track listing

Charts

References

{{reflist 2021 debut albums Albums recorded at Electric Lady Studios Claud (singer) albums Dead Oceans albums Saddest Factory Records albums