The Bones of What You Believe is the debut studio album by Scottish synth-pop band Chvrches, released on 20 September 2013 by Virgin Records and Goodbye Records. Recorded between 2011 and 2013 in Glasgow, the album was written, composed, and produced by the band as a collaborative effort. The album was debuted with a launch party broadcast live on music streaming platform Boiler Room. The album's title derives from a lyric in the song "Strong Hand"; according to frontwoman Lauren Mayberry, it refers to the raw "creativity and effort" that served as the figurative and literal skeleton for the album. Musically, The Bones of What You Believe is primarily a synth-pop and indie pop album that incorporates 1980s influences. The Bones of What You Believe received critical acclaim, with many complimenting Mayberry's songwriting and vocal performance, and Iain Cook and Martin Doherty's use of synthesisers and vocal loops. The album spawned seven singles: "The Mother We Share", "Recover", "Gun", "Lies", "We Sink", "Under the Tide" and "Tether", with the lead single becoming a moderate commercial success, charting in the top 10 in Belgium and Japan, as well as the top 40 in the United Kingdom. It also peaked at number 12 on the Alternative Songs chart in the United States.
This made me feel so real, so big, and so alive. It made me want to run barefoot across a dewy field with all my energy until I get tired. It made me want to conquer the sky. It made me want to aggressively put positive energy in myself while commuting.
I was honestly shocked to see CHVRCHΞS (people always remember the "vee" but not the "equivalent to") on here but they definitely belong. This is not my favorite album of theirs but maybe since it was their debut album it makes sense for this list. This is not normally the kind of music that appeals to me, but this album is fantastic. Maybe it's the 80s feel, or the clever (without being eye-roll-y) lyrics, or the lead singer's sheer charisma. Whatever it is, it's a great listen. 4.5 stars.
i remember these being all the rage when they were out but i never got involved. It sounds like some sort of Taylor Swift prototype, a precursor of the misery to come.
The pretentious spelling of the band's name immediately pisses me off. See runtime is over an hour, crack my knuckles. Two points knocked off and the music hasn't even begun. The music isn't terrible, and at its best sounds a little like Robyn, just without the magic. Synths are usually urgent, the songs have velocity and the album is dynamic both within the tracks and their sequencing. Were this half its length, I could call this consistent, but as it is over an hour it is samey. My ear lobes were curling up with boredom by the halfway mark. 2.
Perfectly serviceable, perfectly dull synth pop with a retro edge to it. Perhaps I'm getting a little too long in tooth and jaw, but the wide-eyed sweetness of the vocals and the video game crispness of the music fail to charm. Where's the human, beating heart to this whole endeavour?
Quite a painful listen after artists like Michael Jackson and Fleetwood Mac. The chord progressions were simplistic, there was no harmony, just bland synths and lyrics. This nearly fell into a 1 but I did like the Scottish accents coming through, and one of the songs was Ok (can’t remember which one). Overall this made me really question the list. This just feels like such an arbitrary choice, probably added shortly after it came out. I’d say at least 10 years should pass before an album can be considered for the list, looking back on this album now you can see it for what it is, soulless synth pop, or as the Scots say “a load a’ shite”.
I added this album to my collection a few years ago based on the song Science/Visions that played at the end of a podcast episode I had listened to. The rest of the album does not disappoint. Chvrches takes synth-pop to epic stadium levels and I love the lead singer and the construction of the songs. Great!
This is an album I knew a lot of songs from already, thanks to the copious airtime this received when it came out. I think at the time I got a bit bored of just how much it was played, but it's been nearly 10 years now so I can appreciate this again, as well as acquire a palate that really enjoys indie electronica. With all that being said, I loved this album. Sitting down and hearing this properly, I thought it was excellent. The lyricism was wonderful and Mayberry has such an energy and charisma to her vocals. Overall it's absolutely dripping with 80s Synth-Pop flair, but it still manages to stay varied enough to not grow stale by the end of the 67-minute long record. Really tempted to get this on vinyl... I took early 2010s pop and electronica for granted - this is so much better than any of the endless TikTok crap that Radio 1 plays these days... Favourite: Recover
I've been listening to Chvrches on shuffle for so long that I forgot which songs were on which albums. I've always liked them ever since I first heard them, and seeing them live was amazing. It's also really cool that they have an album on this list now. This album came out in 2013 and it cannot be overstated how fucking abysmal mainstream pop/rock was at this time. Every single song sounded the same with a buildup to a drop and a chorus that was just a bunch of mmms and ohs. Calvin harris type bullshit was taking over. Chvrches does buildups and drops on here but they are so natural and produced so well. Everything has a deep sound to it. The vocals are unique too in the sense that there are regular male and female singing vocals but also a ton of mouth sounds mixed into the song itself, it's pretty insane how much of each song is just singing digitized and harmonized. It's cool and gives them their iconic sound. Science/visions is their best song and it slaps hard as hell. Very unique sound and structure to it. Their 2nd album is just as good. Score: 90 Art: 80
Now this is the type of synth pop that absolutely tickles me. This had me jamming the whole time. I'll definitely be diving into their discography!
Somewhere in my shoegazey, guitar-driven hard-rock heart I have a big soft spot for indie electronica, and I’m pretty sure it’s this album that started me down that path. When this LP dropped in 2014, it was the first melody-driven, well-executed electronic music I’d heard that didn’t revolve around massive drops or progressive builds. Mayberry’s featherlight yet strong vocals on top of some great synth choices and big, booming rhythms is a great play of light against heavy, light against dark. The use of space is exceptional - not a single track goes by without feeling huge and anthemic due to the airtight production and heavy use of reverb, but the group still manages to make tracks feel small and intimate (‘Gun’ is a great example of this). To this day the album feels fresh, alive, and new thanks to the strong songwriting and use of texture that makes every line, beat, and word resonate hugely in a wall of vibrant sound. It’s unfortunate that the band hasn’t been able to innovate their sound with much success in the following decade, but with an opening statement this strong, unique, and fully-formed, I have no problem if the group continues to stay in their lane and make excellent indietronica.
4.1 + If someone were to stop me randomly on the street and ask, "What's an album that Pitchfork would've called 'Best New Music' in the 2010's?", this might be the first record that comes to mind. Such a perfect encapsulation of a certain "Pitchfork-core" sound of that era - breezy electro-pop with plenty of 1980's synth throwbacks. Standouts: "Under the Tide", "Recover."
This must have been influential on Jack Antonoff’s synth heavy production style making it therefore influential on Taylor Swift, Lorde, and others. The actual album was fine though no track truly stood out to me.
This shit spiked in popularity about 10-15 years ago in "big indie" circles. Very beige, very predictable, catchy without huge hooks. Would suit one of those triple j festivals where bands from 500 different genres (not metal) tell the crowd they have a "great vibe" - groovin' the moo, byron bluesfest, falls, etc. Would ruin my acid trip for sure. I was gonna give it a 3/5 because it isn't *that* bad, just not my thing. But oh Christ, this shit only has one setting and it SUCKS. Every song sounds identical, none of it remotely interesting. Still 3 songs to go and time has slowed to a crawl. Update: it got no better. After writing this, I googled "chvrches falls festival" just to see, and they're playing it this year. First result. ha ha, fucking picked it. Fuck off and die, hipster shit. 2/5.
Marvelous
Still great 10 years later. Wasn't just a phase I was going thru
Some genuinely beautiful and uplifting synth pop. Brings back a huge flood of Laneway 2014 memories alongside Haim, Lorde, Run the Jewels and the Jezabels. Bonus points for little hint of Scottish lilt you hear every now and then.
A modern classic
Big Tegan and Sara energy
Kojima's favorite album. I'm very familiar with this band, what a great debut! It's a must listen if you're a fan of pop/synth music. I love hearing a mix of Lauren and the boy's vocals. My favorite song is Night Sky, but it's full of bangers.
Love the band and love the album.
love it :) blast from the past
The Chvrches magic remains just as potent as ever, something evading attempts to summarize. I didn't expect weeping this time but did, for the time, for the intervening decade, for being picked up in each and every song by some element. I cases, the saving moment arrives late, and the enduring consistency is even confusing. Irreplicable; irreplaceable.
How did i miss this
I bloody love Chvrches. Love this album.
Wonderful! Beautiful!
An excellent album. It came out when so many bands were doing the retro-synth thing, and for most it was just an affectation. On this album CHVRCHES built songs that would stand out regardless of the instrumentation.
Great!
Great album. “Lungs” and “Night Sky” are my highlights
I actually loved this album - it just makes you feel alive and it's so full of energy. Great, unique, pseudo-futuristic sound. 9/10.
Top shelf pop.
Rating: 10/10
Very pleasant, sounded like disclosure inspo
My first experience with CHVRCHES was their most recent (or recentish, since I believe they have a new one coming out), checking it out on a whim and being blown away. Yet I checked out very little of their other stuff. This is pretty good, but it feels like practice for later highs. I can see how this would blow pop fans away at the time though, and I love how the last song interlopes The Cure’s “Plainsong”. Soon, Lauren (who really is a gifted singer) will get to duet with Robert Smith. B
This is the one CHVRCHES album I like. And like it I do. 4/5
I like the general sound of it and the edginess of the lyrics. I don't know if this is so but it seems like the kind of music that would play over the end credits of a tv show popular with millennials (not an insult).
This one was totally new to me and I thought it was enjoyable. It didn't always connect, but overall it made a positive impression.
Being a big fan of 1980s synth pop as well as some more modern incarnations such as Icona Pop, I had high expectations for this album. The first listen through didn't meet those. However, listening again made me realize that I might really love this one, given a few more listens. I quite enjoyed it and would like to get to that point.
Electronic pop with high prodution values. It flows very nicely and even has two songs that I quite liked - Recover and Night Sky. But this album hasn't any really bad songs. The production quality is very high, too. This is what modern pop sould sound like (instead of 95% of tracks currently in the pop charts, but that is another story). 3.5/5
Interesting album. A tad bit generic for it's age, but not in a bad way. I enjoyed it as a background music.
Good lyrics.
CHVRCHES is one of those bands that my husband always asks me why I don't listen to, since they sound like other stuff I'm into. This was my first time giving them a real chance. It reminded a lot of Lights and maybe even a little bit of Taylor Swift, on certain tracks. I liked it overall on my first listen and plan to listen again. It wasn't love at first listen but I think it would grow on me more.
I really like this album and band.
Kinda catchy
Great album!
This was a fun way to start the day.
Really liked this one.
Decent album with delucious synth sounds but reminds me a lot of Naked and Famous and I think they do it better. Great opening track tho.
Kinda like this now
A few Christmas’s ago, I was discussing new bands I liked with my nieces and Churches was one of the few areas of overlap. I would describe them as synth-pop, with a moderate emphasis on the pop but enough to keep my (then teenage) nieces interested. The lead singer borrows a style popular on the radio these days, I don’t know what it’s called, but Lorde sings in a similar style. That style of music doesn’t do much for me, but I’m going to go +1 for the edgier pieces like “Science/Visions” and especially “Lies”.
Now you’re talking!!! This is exceptionally good! I love the whole urgent vibe of the record and the lassies vocals are mesmeric! Fuckin’ awesome!
Definitely worth another listen. Her voice is so high, though, it’s distracting.
Really cool sound
I think it’s saying something that I’ve heard most of these songs out in the wild before. Maybe a bit repetitive but overall a strong album of quality pop
There is music I like better by Chvrches, but this is still good. Just not their best. I was debating between 3 1/2 stars or 4, so I'll average and round :) 4 stars.
I really really liked this album. Between the synth pop vibes, the percussion, and the almost robotic sounding female singer, the whole thing just felt very vibrant to me.
Absolutely loved the synthesisers. The whole album had a real 80s vibe. I don’t know why it makes the list but it is a great listen. Favourite track is: The Bones of What You Believe
great album, fun and different. vocals can get kind of annoying after a bit.
It’s like Katy Perry singing for Depeche Mode or New Order. I love this dark, mature icy electro-pop. I can hear the indie/alt rock influence on the song writing. A great new discovery for me.
This is a banger if you ask me. I love CHVRCHES they are great. Except for when they let the guy sing.
Solid vibes, was the peak of this kind of music
The seeds of greatness.
Screams 2010s loudly. A good album, maybe a little too much of the same and a bit too long to really be great for me.
Keri, I kinda like it.
Me gustó. Las melodías un poco demasiado poperas para mi gusto pero las bases me gustaron y sobre todo cómo queda todo junto. 3 estrellas y media que redondean para arriba
Pretty good
I liked it, kinda dream poppy. 8/10
Un album non sans rappeller l'excellent groupe Gunshit, conseillé à l'époque par un de mes collègues de travail des bureaux de Francfort. Ce brillant conseiller n'aura néammoins jamais réussi à rendre mon expérience allemande plus agréable, et je voue depuis une haine incommensurable à l'égard du peuple aryen.
Les musiques les plus récentes sont objectivement supérieures en tout à celles d'avant l'an 2000, n'en déplaise à mon ami italien raciste, homophobe et misogyne. Ma seule réserve concernant cet album réside dans le fait que le son résonne énormément du début à la fin en raison de l'architecture des églises qui comprend de grands espaces, des matériaux réfléchissants tels que la pierre et le bois, et des surfaces qui renvoient le son. Cela crée une réverbération prolongé qui n'est pas forcément agréable à l'écoute.
Not bad
actually good
This is an exceptionally dated, early 2010s album. I enjoyed it, but that said, I don't see it as any sort of standout among early 2010s indie-synth-pop of which there is a ton of nice but interchangeable bands.
Way better album than I remembered. Synths on this go hard as fuck.
I really do like CHVRCHES (despite how they spell their name), but I feel like their songs are mostly the same kind of style and pace. It's a style that I like, but I'd rather mix them into a playlist than go through a whole album, this felt same-y throughout.
Catchy feel good songs. Not groundbreaking, but I enjoy them.
alright electro pop
Man, some of the greatest songs of the last decade are on this. Mother We Share, Lies, Gun, just absolutely incredible tracks. More filler than I remembered though. Recovery is an earworm in a bad way.
Well this is all very good. Maybe ten minutes too long.
Fun album with some great sounds
Synthpop classic. This album came out right before I graduated college and is one of the albums I most strongly associate with that transitional period of my life. It’s a shame they just couldn’t ever live up to it again though.
Chvrches has a great sound and this is a solid first album, but I like their next two albums more.
Lush, gorgeous electronic pop. I really like CHVRCHES’ sound, and the singer’s voice suits it perfectly.
If you’ve never heard of chvrches do yourself a favor and check them out. I listen to punk/thrash/rap and don’t dig pop too much but this band is amazing.
Takes me back to my university years. Lovely. Can't believe this album is already 10 years old.
I loved this way more than I thought I would. Tempted to give it 5 but can't quite
Refreshing Disco tunes, funky and timeless, this is a good example why this project is worth it.
I liked it :) I wanted to give it five stars because I really like the sounds, but I don't find it mind blowing enough. But I think overall it's a very stylish, danceable record, even though a bit plastic-ey at times. One has to take also age into consideration, I would have loved this when I was 15!
The Mother We Share is a pretty great song. Recover is also a pretty strong track. And it may be that I'm just in the mood for some faux 80s synth wave pop today. But this is working for me.
I had no idea what I was going to hear when I put this on. It is a really solid synth pop thing. I’d totally listen to this again. I really enjoyed it. It takes the best of dance, synth, and pop and puts it together. The band is quite charismatic and lively. Not quite 5 stars, but solid 4.
fun
I have not done any research on this but it feels like the kind of record that got a lot of hype when it came out but that people have now turned on and pretend they always hated it. For me it’s just solid comfortable synth pop, I kind of love it.
Something a bit different, liked it
Choonz
I saw this band at Bonaroo, maybe 2014, and I was a dozen rows back and one of the people she seemed to be making eye contact with, or at least regularly looking in the general direction of. I remember it being a soul piercing, intense, confident kind of look - which I speculate is one of the ingredients that helps her voice balance the very present synthesizers that cohabitate these songs. At its worst moments, this album is still listenable, even catchy, and at it's best is downright contagious.
I liked this quite a bit. The music reminded me a bit of Arcade Fire. I really like the singer's voice. 4 stars.
That's about as good as synth-pop gets, friends. It's got so much vibe. The only fault I can find with it is that it's just a lot of synth-pop and, by the end, my ears were totally worn out by all the saw-wave synthiness.
Love Chvrches
Quite enjoyed this.
I have a complex set of feelings about this album. I heard it around the time that it came out, and liked it but didn't love it. I still feel about the same, but my appreciation for synth pop has greatly increased during the intervening years. I think one of the reasons that I don't like this more is that I've heard lots of great synth albums since 2013, like Jubilee by Japanese Breakfast, that I like more than this. However, those albums benefit from the existence of this album. Anyway, this is solid synth pop. It leaves me a bit uninspired at times, but overall it's really good 4/5
Synthwave for the 2010s. The tracks in the first half build to euphoric choruses. The second half is more mellow and downbeat which drags it out a little. I also wouldn't have bothered with the songs that the man sings. However this is still excellent overall. Another hilarious thing is to deliberately mispronounce the artist as shev-er-shay ((c) ASG). Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: The Mother We Share Date listened: 16/09/23