''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 music production, production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a delibe ...

singer

Claud Claud is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Claud Allister (1888–1970), English actor *Claud Beelman (1883–1963), American architect *Claud Irvine Boswell (1742–1824), Scottish judge *Claud Thomas Bourchier (1831–1877), E ...

, 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 Ch ...

and

Dead Oceans Dead Oceans, Inc., is an American independent record label founded in 2006 and based in Bloomington, Indiana. History On June 30, 2006, Phil Waldorf founded Dead Oceans with Chris Swanson. Swanson suggested the name Dead Oceans, which came fro ...

. It features guest appearances from

Nick Hakim Nicolas Hakim is an American musician based in Queens, New York, United States. His first EP, ''Where Will We Go Part 1 & 2'', was self-released in 2014. He released three albums with ATO: ''Green Twins'' (2017), '' Will This Make Me Good'' (202 ...

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 singer-songwriter. Her indie folk music typically centers on acoustic guitar and Electronic music, electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has won four Grammy Aw ...

'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 an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

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 database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

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

Haim Haim can be a first name or surname originating in Hebrew or derived from the Old German name Haimo. Etymology Hebrew Chayyim ( ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''Haim, Hayim, Chayim'', or ''Chaim'' (English pronunciat ...

, or

Christine and the Queens Rahim Claude Redcar (sometimes shortened to Chris or Redcar; born Héloïse Adélaïde Letissier; 1 June 1988) is a French singer and songwriter, best known under the pseudonym of Christine and the Queens. Born and raised in Nantes, he started ...

" and the album "shows promise of a burgeoning artist finding their own voice". Harrison Smith of ''

Gigwise ''Gigwise'' is a British online music news site featuring music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets and video content. Founded in June 2001, the site is based in London, England. History Gigwise was launched in 2001 in ...

'' 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! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

'' summarized that the album "contains all the usual bedroom pop signifiers—light R&B grooves, chorus-drenched guitars à la

Mac DeMarco McBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco (born Vernor Winfield McBriare Smith IV; April 21, 1990) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. He has released five full-length studio albums: his debut '' 2'' (2012), '' Salad Days' ...

" 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, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' 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