CHXRL (pronounced Charl apparently) first popped into our radar late last year with his wholesome video for “Autumn”, for a slow, emotive showcase of just who the Jozi-native indie-pop newbie is.
Keeping things current moving into the new year, he just dropped the accompanying video to his single “All Night”: a stage-light-soaked, angsty narrative of unrequited love. Lifted off his debut EP Autumn, which dropped mid-2020, “All Night” is replete in deft synths and light-footed production. His rich, warm tenor tones pit him against his contemporaries – although the occasional injection of over-processed backing vocals detract a bit from the overall experience.
Directed by Tiaan Nortje, the video tracks a pretty morbidly miserable CHXRL as the classic tale unfolds of boy meets girl who instead opts for bad-boy on the periphery – to her detriment but hey, you’ve gotta learn those lessons. Colour-flooded portrait shots meet the clear-cut classic diner narrative which keeps the story rolling.
It’s clean and deftly produced, and CHXRL has more than enough vocal zest to cut through the oozing melancholia of it all.
