Scottish electro-rockers Chvrches, prove to be a welcome addition to the world of synthpop and with their debut album The Bones of What You Believe. New to the scene, Chvrches formed in 2011 and is composed of Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook, and Martin Doherty.
Mayberry’s light, airy vocals complement the precise beats throughout the album. The album is almost completely void of actual instruments like guitars, but it takes full advantage of synthetic sounds and clean notes, bearing similarity to new artists like Lorde and The Naked and Famous, while having influences from music of the eighties.
The songs on the album have an upbeat, fresh sound to them while delivering a darker message with their lyrics. A lot of the songs seem to touch on the topic of a bad relationship, with lyrics like “I’ll give you one more chance/ To say we can change or part ways/ And you take what you need/ And you don’t need me,” from the album’s second single, “Recover” and “I’ll be a thorn in your side/ Till you die/ I’ll be a thorn in your side/ For always,” from the single “We Sink.”
Halfway through the album and at the end of the album, with “Under The Tide” and “You Caught The Light”, we get to hear songs sung by Martin Doherty as opposed to Mayberry, which brings a mix to the album in a situation where the songs have the potential to become monotonous. Along with his vocals, these songs are two of the slower tracks on the album along with “Tether.” Doherty also makes an appearance on the tracks “Night Sky” and “Science/Visions” along with Mayberry in an almost duet between the two of them, although Mayberry is clearly the lead vocalist. Their voices work well together, so it will be interesting to see where they’ll go in the future.
Chvrches works well to keep listeners interested from start to finish with catchy lyrics and the hypnotizing use of synthesizers. They bring a mastered sound to the indie movement of synthetic instrumentals and clean-cut vocals. The album is heartfelt with tracks like, “You Caught the Light,” which brings a slow and sincere finish to the album. With this new band making such a strong start, I’m already in anxious anticipation for their nex