The Recover EP wasn’t a fluke. CHVRCHES is pretty great.
It’s an inescapable truth that all good things come to an end. I’ve been confronted by that sentiment often throughout the past week: Breaking Bad’s rapidly approaching denouement, the end of the university’s schedule adjustment period, the steadily vanishing carton of Goldfish crackers I’ve been munching on while writing this review.
In the face of such world-shaking transience, holding on to something more enduring can bring a great deal of comfort.
At this weekend’s Virgin Mobile Freefest, I was fortunate enough to attend a set that restored some of my lost sense of security. Though clocking in at just an hour, electropop trio CHVRCHES’ show reaffirmed the young band’s surprising, near-timeless promise. Startlingly polished tracks, belied by a refreshing onstage innocence, fostered hope for the band’s permanence.
It was a truly impressive show, especially from a barely 2-year-old group whose longevity seemed in question just a matter of weeks ago.
The Glasgow, Scotland-based trio premiered its first song, “Lies,” in May 2012 to perhaps the year’s largest outpouring of industry praise over a rising act. One year later, buoyed by a remarkable run of singles and an entire music press’ adoration, the band nonetheless seemed poised to suffer the consequences of sky-high expectations.
In today’s bedroom music industry of SoundCloud and one-off releases, inordinate hype combined with a swift rise based on sparse material can prove a double-edged sword for bands that lack the chops to cut it at the international level.
Such were the worries surrounding CHVRCHES’ first full-length, The Bones Of What You Believe. Could the band’s penchant for gorgeous pop singles translate to a 12-song album? What kind of depth did it have up its sleeve?
But with its North American arrival today, The Bones Of What You Believe shows those concerns were unfounded. A shimmering, glorious debut that’s sure to be counted among the year’s best, the record isn’t quite pop perfection — but it’s pretty damn close.
Along with up-and-comers Icona Pop and Sky Ferreira, among others, CHVRCHES has proven itself capable of crafting substantial, radio-friendly songs that mark a fresh wave of meaningful yet accessible — and above all, fun — music.
The singles that predicated the band’s rise are all present: “Lies,” the breakthrough “The Mother We Share,” this summer’s supremely danceable“Gun” and festival crowd favorite “Recover.” They’re fantastic, of course; equally apt to draw on iconic ’80s stars like Prince and Cher as they are the best of EDM’s current offerings.
However, the real surprise comes with the album’s previously unreleased tracks, which highlight CHVRCHES’ striking capacity for penning anthemic choruses. “We Sink” and “Night Sky” provide the strongest examples. On the latter, front woman Lauren Mayberry belts out her most confident vocals, blanketing a steady backbeat and soaring synth. On the former, sing-along lyrics like “I’ll be a thorn in your side/ Till you die” read like another diary entry from the same disenchanted lover in “Gun.”
Such disillusionment composes much of the album’s lyrical content. In fact, The Bones Of What You Believe seems almost a concept album for the love-weary — those coming to terms with the imminent end of a rocky relationship or those simply confused with the direction in which it’s heading. The lyrics are poignant — often somewhat enigmatic — but not overdone.
On “Tether,” one of the strongest previously unreleased songs, Mayberry delicately croons over languid guitar chords before the song dissolves into dance floor bliss. It’s demonstrative of CHVRCHES’ appeal: full-bodied synth overlaid by Mayberry’s often vulnerable voice and resonant lyrics, neatly packaged into pop rivaling that of Top 40 regulars.
Understandably, that method of songwriting has merited CHVRCHES comparisons to 2012’s flavor of the week, Purity Ring. While the duo is female-fronted and indeed produces electropop, the parallels don’t seem to go any further. Where Purity Ring experiments with complex, layered melodies, CHVRCHES’ hooks are more immediate with less cryptic messages.
Though the album’s and the media’s attentions undeniably center on Mayberry, bandmate Martin Doherty takes over the album’s vocal duties on several occasions for a surprisingly enjoyable experience. After a largely disappointing performance on Recover EP’s “ZVVL,” “Under the Tide” delivers a vastly improved look at Doherty in the role of front man. On album closer “You Caught the Light,” he offers an atmospheric five-minute look at another facet of CHVRCHES, one far removed from their usual aesthetic.
A skillfully crafted debut, The Bones Of What You Believe isn’t without its miscues. At times, its powerful synth-driven choruses threaten to overwhelm Mayberry’s more ephemeral vocals. Typically sweet, on “Lungs,” those vocals approach something almost cloying. All told, however, these missteps can be chalked up to growing pains — remember, the 2-year-old CHVRCHES is still in its infancy.
Overall, The Bones Of What You Believe proves anything but skeletal, dismissing notions of CHVRCHES’ lack of creative depth. The band has managed to craft a winning debut bursting with pop bangers both sophisticated and accessible. Hopefully, it’s a combination that will ensure CHVRCHES’ longevity.
