For some reason, I am unaccountably annoyed by the v in Chvrches. In all honesty, mostly by the fact it is there to avoid confusion with actual churches in internet searches. Their first gig as unsigned artists sold out and was jam packed with A&R men. They featured in the Guardian’s New Bands of the Day before they had even officially released a single. So far, so hype. However, you only have to listen to a couple of songs to realise that Chvrches aren’t the emperor’s new clothes after all and that there is an abundance of substance to back up the hype.
I’ll level with you, the last synth-pop album I bought was probably by Depeche Mode in the last 1980s and nothing in between has made me feel I’m missing out. The singles you’ve probably already heard are great but the rest of the album is anything but filler. Mayberry’s vocals which might sound too “sweet” over more fey tracks, provide the perfect foil for the synth beats. Tracks such as 'We Sink' and 'Tether' simply sparkle with electro-melody (I don’t think that’s a thing. I just made it up. Sorry.) 'Lungs' is absolutely perfect pop.
Possibly because I was so taken with Mayberry’s vocals, the only low point of the album for me was 'You Caught the Light' where Doherty takes lead vocals. The tempo is slower on this track and it simply lacks the crackle of the rest of the album.
Regardless of genre, the thing which elevates songs to greatness which will stand the test of time, is the quality of the songwriting. Mayberry, Cook and Doherty spent 8 months in a basement crafting these tunes and every minute of it shows. This album is genuinely so good that I’m going to buy it rather than just stream it on Spotify and praise doesn’t come much higher than that.
Words: Gail Richardson
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