When you first listen to CHVRCHES, you may think you’ve entered a time machine back to the 1980’s, when synth-pop was just hitting the scene. Luckily, no time travel is necessary to listen to “Every Open Eye” — the newest album of the three part electronic band from Glasgow, Scotland. After the trio’s successful first album, “The Bones of What You Believe,” Iain Cook, Lauren Mayberry and Martin Doherty have spent the last couple of years cooking up something good for fans, resulting in an album which has both depth and flair while keeping their signature indie-tronic sound.
“Every Open Eye” shows that CHVRCHES is far from a one-dimensionally talented band. The electro band proves that it can soften the synthesizer a bit in exchange for a clearer audio of lead-singer Mayberry’s vocals, offers a greater array of song types and tempos and has a deeper, more layered musical production. The album has more pop elements and is more upbeat than “The Bones of What You Believe.”
The lyrics, however, are more thoughtful than your average top 40 songs. Mayberry strings together similar themes and messages throughout the album, going from demanding closure to singing about leaving scarring traces of yourself on others, to preaching self-respect.
Most of the more pop focused tracks on “Every Open Eye” are contrasted with more melodic, relaxed songs, featuring for the first time the vocals of the band’s boys — Cook and Doherty. Though their singing ability is just fine, their voices don’t compare to Mayberry’s delicate, pixie-like voice which is a signature mark of any CHVRCHES song. I found myself waiting for tracks that feature only the boys, like “High Enough to Carry You Over,” to be over soon after they started. “Down Side of Me,” features a duet between Mayberry and Doherty and was a perfect blend showing the band’s well-rounded talent and full use of their musical capacities.
“Every Open Eye’s” final song, “Afterglow,” lessens the pop-synth sound to create a mystical, lullaby-sounding song that rephrases many lyrics heard in other tracks, causing listeners to reflect on the album as a whole. “Every Open Eye” is a beautiful album that shows CHVRCHES has a lot to offer and can break out of their type-casted genre and sound, delivering catchy yet substantive tracks that form a wholesome work.
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