Chvrches

lauren mayberry is i think an underrated singer. her vocal performances always seem so understated and natural.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU9_0pxiDjY

Yeah, this one's a bit safer and more in keeping with the debut album, I think.

this album is going to be huge. they are going in the right direction and the masses should pick up on it. another great leaked song even if the first one is better.

Not feeling this one like I was Leave a Trace.

Oh, I'm definitely looking forward to the new record without a doubt. I'm hoping that Curxes break through like CHVRCHES have. Their album is fucking great.

Not feeling this one like I was Leave a Trace.

same. maybe it'll grow on me

this album is going to be huge. they are going in the right direction and the masses should pick up on it.

their popularity is interesting to me. the debut has sold 182,000 in the u.s., which i'm having trouble making sense of in 2015. seems like a lot for a band that isn't played on commercial radio? in any case, they seem to have become popular/cool enough that i wouldn't be surprised to see an SNL booking after the album comes out. at the same time, i don't get the sense that they have much critical cachet, so the fact that i love them sometimes leaves me a little embarrassed in a way that i wouldn't be if they were less popular. i know, it's dumb.

imo it's perfectly okay to love Chvrches, regardless of popularity or cachet. I can't say I love love them, but a couple songs from early on were nice and Leave a Trace is super nice. Also, Lauren Mayberry is a badass.

glassnote sells a lot of records, a cursory look at the sales totals for other bands on their roster can be really astonishing sometimes

Headlining the 7300-capacity Alexandra Palace in London, which surprised me.

Chvrches seem to be as popular with people who are a huge fans of first wave UK synthpop as they are with younger listeners, fwiw.

Thanks for the Curxes mention Turrican, digging it.

Thanks for the Curxes mention Turrican, digging it.

― Leonard Pine, Thursday, August 13, 2015 7:34 PM (58 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

You're more than welcome! It's my favourite electronic/synthpop record of the year so far! :)

new track recycles verse opening melody from "recover" ... and what a muddy mix

Video for "Leave a Trace!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Eo84jDIMKI

This is the best one so far imo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpFXXPruuqU

aw fuck yeah

when i first saw the pfork performance of this song i assumed it'd be the opening track and it is not, oh well

wow, this album is going to be great!

mixing's great on this stuff

http://www.npr.org/2015/09/20/439491238/first-listen-chvrches-every-open-eye

The dude-vocalist song in the middle is actually good!

and because I am a bit obsessive about track lengths I am kind of nerding out over how it is in almost the exact middle (length of the five tracks on either side: 19:11/12)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moD5muTQcwY

I've just read one review of the new album which states that Chvrches have managed to do what a lot of recent UK synthpop artists haven't, and that is to make a great second album. I can't argue with that, and it's about fucking time!

The dude-vocalist song in the middle is actually good!

eh, I could live without it

That Bieber cover is weak compared to the original, but the album is GREAT.

the one with the guy singing sounds like a chromeo song

I'm loving this album a hell of a lot, sounds perky as fuck after listening through the latest New Order.

I'm finding that, aside from "Empty Threat" (which I'd say is among the 2 or 3 best tracks on here), the energy wanes a bit too much on the second half of the record. The good stuff here is so good, though, that I feel kind of churlish even complaining.

'Down Side Of Me' is stunning. 'Empty Threat' is fun.

'Make Them Gold' is obnoxious.

"Empty Threat" and "Bury It" are the ones I like best that weren't pre-released.

Also I was happy to see Lauren discuss her appreciation for emo in this podcast as it sort of explains why I was compelled to make a playlist entitled "Pvrvmvre" over the weekend.

ok im late to the party on this but 'leave a trace' is A+

This record seems to inhabit a very heightened emotional position that is both extremely euphoric and rushy (even down to the trance synths on one song), but that at the same time you can imagine soundtracking moments of peak self-indulgent adolescent misery, it's at exactly the kind of emotional tenor that I guess people see in Fall Out Boy records or whatever.

Album is way way better than I thought it would be, if you skip the dude song it's near perfect.

I even like the dude song!

Liked the first one but not hearing the superiority of this one at all, just seems like more of the same but with nothing really jumping out.

I'm afraid to listen to this because I don't think chvrches and I are on the same page about what the chrvches record should be (basically, I just want 12 more "Science/Visions")

definitely not much of a Science/Visions vibe on this new one. Much more focus on the vocals, much less on the music. It makes for some strong pop tracks, but I do miss the more techie aspects of the first one.

After giving this a few more listens and then going back to the debut, I have to say that I vastly prefer the new one, and I speak as someone who really, really liked the debut album. I'm enjoying the smoother sound, improved songwriting and the vocals are much stronger.

'Make Them Gold' is obnoxious.

― KevRus, Tuesday, September 29, 2015 10:38 PM (5 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Can't agree, it's one of my favourite things they've ever done and should be a single.

Yeah, it's fair to say that this is one of my favourite albums of the year - I keep getting several of the songs from this record lodged in my head at random. Chvrches have become my favourite new UK synthpop artist for a very long time.

this is all i listen to right now, this album is so good. it will be my number one album from 2015 as i can't see anything replacing it.

i guess there's nothing wrong with recycling melodies (certainly the brill building songwriters did it all the time), but it's weird to see a band emerging from this particular taste culture doing it this baldly.

also, this album is really boring, but i guess the lack of discussion here means ILM knows that.

I like it but there's not very much to say about it.

all i can say is that it's one of the few albums i bought on itunes that i just deleted after a few days. it's "pleasant," but so lightweight that it's almost... unpleasant? it's certainly redunant; if i feel like a chvrches fix, i'll just listen to the previous album.

I didn't like the previous album much but like this more. It feels like there's a little more subtlety in the arrangements, and the vocals are stronger. I can understand why it could seem redundant to some, but it's nothing but an improvement to me. There isn't really that much to say about it though, it's solid but unspectacular.

I can't forget how much it reminds me of Tegan and Sara.