Review: Charmer’s New Record Downpour is the Medicine–American Rock Band on Grief, Growth and Getting Through It.
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Michigan’s cult-favorite American Rock outfit, Charmer, have returned full-force from their 5-year-hiatus with their resumption record Downpour, set for release in late May.
Deemed as a dauntless reintroduction to the band known for their nostalgic take on rock with heart-bearing lyrics and evocative melodies, the album effortlessly blends facets of heavy pop-punk and late 90s Long island hardcore, with a wistful and dreary atmosphere.
Following his recent entry into fatherhood, vocalist/guitarist David Daignault explores themes of new family dynamics, solitude in the Upper Peninsula and moments of mourning summed up in eleven harrowing tracks. Reflecting honestly on his transition to individuation and navigating challenging life shifts all the while balancing a passionate pursual of artistic fulfillment, Downpour listens like a soundtrack of vulnerable introspection. It's a deeply relatable record to those adapting to adulthood.
“Linger” briefly yet powerfully opens the record with punchy drums layered against dreamy guitar riffs and drilling lyrics of longing, breaking through the controlled intensity of Daignault’s screaming vocals. This track channels the rhythmic angst of Title Fight in just under two minutes, curating an impression for the rest of the album to follow.
On the pre-released track “Arrowhead,” widely revered by fans and often received as one of the greatest songs the band has released to date, it marks the strong redirection from previous acclaimed drops like Ivy circa 2020 and Charmer (2018). This song poignantly describes a bittersweet and anguished relationship, full of love, longing, memory and self-sabotage through the lens of complex and rich imagery like fading hope and inner turmoil. “Arrowhead” explores what it’s like to be caught in the wedge between longing and loss, and it makes for a captivating listening experience.
Up next is “Blue Jay,” an upbeat offering to the band’s otherwise melancholic release. In line with brooding lyrics delving into experiences as undecidedly good or bad, the track covers all its bases for becoming a gut-wrenching and cathartic anthem.
“Swords Dance,” lands as a well-placed break between the emotionally intense pace of the rest of the record, without disrupting its momentum. It’s a reflective detour that allows the listener space to pause and sink into its soft atmosphere before “Medicine” and “Scream” quickly follow, shifting back to the confident, mature writing style Charmer has settled into with this release.
“Night” is one of those tracks this record will be known for. Guitars alternate between a subdued and delicate tone, to a heavier, more full-bodied crunch, with Daignault’s lyrics honed in on the fragility of the human mind and its struggle to endure under pressure. There’s a familiar weight to the song, really resonating throughout the entire record, born from the burden of carrying too much for too long. It channels the raw power of their past while confronting the bittersweet uncertainty of what comes next.
“Rose Thorns” stands out as the most compelling track on the record, as if the entire album has been building toward this moment. The song unfolds with delicate, reverb-soaked guitar lines before quickly escalating into a full-throttle, distorted surge, mirroring the push and pull of its lyrics. Daignault’s vocals shift from fragile and restrained to raw and explosive, capturing the song’s emotional undercurrent with a sharp, direct intensity that defines their new sonic direction. The introspection on this track lays the groundwork for the next song, “Watercolor,” which doesn’t shy away from questioning long-held dreams, but does so with clarity and a kind of worn-in hope that only comes from living through the mess.
Closing out the record are tracks “Blink” and “Gailick Gun,” two powerhouses that really throw the album into overdrive. “Blink” channels the raw urgency and early days of Alkaline Trio or Boxcar Racer fused with Charmer's signature flair. “Gailick Gun” caps it all off with a furious, no-holds-barred finale, distilling the album's emotional and sonic chaos into a devastatingly powerful conclusion, anchored in Charmer’s roots while still signaling a shift toward something more self-assured. It’s a closer that not only revisits where they’ve been but hints at who they’ve become.
Downpour is Charmer at their most human—grappling with everything all at once, maybe for the last time, and leaving behind a record that hits hard, lingers longer, and couldn’t have come from anywhere but the cold edge of Michigan. Check it out on May 23.