The Bones Of What You Believe

Not really something I would regular but this is great.

I will come back to this. How did I miss this when it came out?

That was a fun throwback. 3.

Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5

Urban Outfitters type band. Millennial optimism band. Some cool beats though. Maybe if I was more of a music critic I'd let this album surprise me and all that but it's just not for me.

The foundation of who I am.

Soundtrack to my early 20s. Love this album.

There was no variety on this album. Just a bunch of beige electro-pop songs.

I enjoyed listening to the album, but wasn't anything special to me. The singer had a great voice, but the music sounds a lot like other 2010s pop type bands. But again still a good album and I enjoyed listening to it.

4.0/10

This was nice, but it got a bit samey for me before too long. Maybe not the best day for deep listening...

After awhile the songs started to blend together.

Not my cuppa tea.

is dit slecht? ik weet het niet... maar het springt er alleszins niet uit... gewone inwisselbare plaat met zoveel andere bands uit die periode...

Awe shit! I think this is Chino's other band from Deftones! I was way wrong I was thinking ††† / Crosses HAHAH but this album is fire! I love the synth engergy the vocals. GPT: "It’s huge, bright, icy, emotionally wounded, and extremely hooky. Think big electronic drums, shimmering synth arpeggios, clean melodic basslines, and Lauren Mayberry’s voice cutting through everything with this sharp, fragile-but-defiant clarity. It has that “dancing while emotionally bleeding” thing that tends to make pop hit harder." Getting some Shiny Toy Guns vibes from time to time. This was great! 5 stars.

Not a mvst.

Soooooo 2010s but I do like it sounds like college

This was a fun album that was for sure out of the norm of what I normally listen to The mother we share was really good and then the rest of the album was just like lesser versions of that song with a few standouts In the best way possible this sounds like generic Roblox obby music Also this is the kind of music you can’t really listen to with AirPods without getting a headache I definitely want to continue to listen to the best tracks from this album in the future but idk that I can’t say the same for the rest of the album 3 or 3.5/5 Favorites: the mother we share, night sky, recover

Very cool, I suppose I used to like it more

If you’re in the mood for peppy bleeps and bloops, this is a good one to turn to!

For nostalgia

Enjoyable synth pop album. The production is so clean and dynamic and complements the singer's voice really well. I wish the songs were a little bit hookier but I had a lot of fun listening to it. The opening track is clearly the big single and was one of the highlights, but I love the odd rhythm of Lungs a little more.

DEUS VULT. DEUS VULT. A tradcath orthodox esoteric neopagan Xitter larper probably went bonkers upon being confronted with the visage of this album and is currently bouncing around the woods swinging his samurai sword with rotund jubilee. What the fuck am I meant to be talking about again? Oh yeah, an album. It's rare to encounter a contemporary release now that I've assembled pre-written reviews for all of the hip-hop albums and releases that were pulled from later editions of the book. There's probably a grand total of 3 albums left on this website that were released after 2010. I've never heard of Chvrches prior to this album, though I think it can be stood to reason that they're an indie rock outfit. They probably have a bassy, trebly rock sound similar to that of Zutons, were I to go even further with my prediction. Here goooooes Nope, a synth-pop album with a female vocalist. I wasn't at all expecting that. This was alright. The composition and sounds of this album are classically 80s in a lot of respects, whereas the vocals, songwriting quirks and mastering are all very modern additions. I wouldn't be surprised if these guys have a handful of songs that are popular on TikTok. The music just has that sensibility to it, particularly with the vocals, which I'm quite mixed on. They're superficially pleasing with their upbeat tone and fluid vocal melodies, though on the whole I found them to be a bit stiff and stale. The instrumentals and synths of this album are nothing I haven't heard before, though they're generally decent. The percussive heartbeat sounds which underscore this album are quite of-the-time, and the same can be said about the rigid, yet somewhat flimsy synths which prop up many of these tunes. The guitar is an interesting and rare addition to this style of music. It carries a good sound on the songs where it features, though the presence is quite few and far between. All in all, I thought this album was a bit of a sludgy wreck. It heavily blends together and was a bit too slack for my liking, though I suppose I didn't mind passively listening along to this album. Book time. "...The Bones of What You Believe sound[s] more like a greatest hits than a debut." They've done some imaginative covers of works from other artists, notably Whitney Houston, Janelle Monáe and Prince, though that's about all the book has. Wikipedia says the release of this album coincided with a live launch party that was streamed on Boiler Room. Critics were favourable, with the album making a few best-of lists. It performed well on the charts. In the 13 countries where it charted, the album made the top twenty in six. Notable placements include No. 59 in Japan, No. 19 in Canada, No. 13 in Australia, No. 12 in Ireland and the US as well as No. 9 in the UK. It didn't make any year-end charts, however. Sure, I'm content with letting this album through. It was decently successful for an indie release, and I think early 2010s electronic albums are interesting for their distinctive, somewhat dreary sound. I cosign this inclusion

Fine stuff

Nice pop and background music. Sounds like some stuff done in the late 80's. Happy to revisit that in the future

Solid pop music, listened twice happily and will probably not listen to the album again. 2.5.

This whole album sounds like that one song Charli XCX made for The Fault in Our Stars and has been disavowing ever since

I am 18 and in university halls. I have just pulled and all-nighter to finish an end of term project. Gun has been on repeat all night. Everything is going to be ok.

Great excuse to give this another listen. Not exactly an impartial listen because I mostly know it front to back. Maybe the latter half is weaker but it's still excellent as it slows to something akin to late night driving music. I do wish the latter Chvrches albums hit better as none of them have caught me anywhere near as much as this one has. Highlight: The latter half of Tether. It's a great song throughout but ooft when that beat hits!

2.58

you can put anything on this list

686/1001 2026.08.24 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

Electronica and EDM albums I have a hard time on where to place them on this list - but totally as hipster as I want to sound/look, this was a lot of fun. Sure, is it a great example of Obama Era Recession Pop, absolutely. But maybe we millennials had a point in just enjoying it for a min before the facade came crumbling down?

Noice

i remember listening to this when it came out. carried by first track quite a bit

I’ve always thought of this group as a more mainstream (and European) version of Crystal Castles and Purity Ring. But actually it seems those groups did better on the charts overall. Well, CHVRCHES at least forms a more straight line to the later chart toppers like Charli XCX. Honestly, I still can’t believe that electronic music is now mainstream in the US, and CHVRCHES deserves credit for being a part of that transition. “Recover” and “The Mother We Share” are the obvious standouts. Although I’ve listened to this album a dozen or two times I don’t recall a lot of the other tracks. Some seem genuinely under-appreciated, but others are fairly uninteresting, “Gun” being a noticeable drop-off from the other singles. I haven’t listened to any of their later albums. Honestly, I thought they mostly dropped out of making music like the xx did. I’ll give them a listen to see how their sound has changed since their debut.

i think i get it

577/1089 - I like that one of the guys is a shmup fan. The music is unfortunately subpar and not very memorable.

More pop version of the knife? Really enjoyable.

Qvite enjoying Chvrches, good albvm, nice uarity

The crunchy synths, millennial woah-oh-ah-oh-ohs and vocoders earmark The Bones of What You Believe as very of its time, but you have to love the extent to which they embrace the big fab pop moments in favour of everything else. They are courting DRAMA and producing the sound that early era Ellie Goulding promised but never delivered. It’s not until Science/Visions where they get into something darker and weirder, like they dropped a trace of These New Puritans into the mix. It would have been nice to have more variety like this but you can’t deny that they're bundles of fun.

Missed this first time around but really enjoyed it and will return, low 4

2.5

3.5

A few cool bits but quickly became annoying.

Biased because I really like it but being realistic it’s not groundbreaking. Very good though.

6/10 - synth pop from the 2010s, inoffensive and we all need some relaxed pop now and again

Suhteellisen geneeristä musiikkia mut jokseenkin uppoaa. Ei omia suosikeista mutta kuunneltavaa.

just absolutely not my vibe, sounds like some shopping mall generic music.

I was surprised how much I liked this. It had a lot of electronica elements in it that I don't usually go for but this was really good.

Modern synth pop classic

Oef.

the most beautiful way to return !!!! WE ARE SO BACK

Сінт-поп! Сподіваюсь буде цікаво) На жаль, цікавого мало(

Top

Shimmery synth-pop, friendly enough to dance or drive to. Pleasant enough for whatever you need, but ultimately forgettable. The vocals seem engineered to fit the music, rather than standing on their own. This might have been a landmark album for the artists, but I don't think this is essential for music or listeners. I like Ellie Goulding better. My Rating: 3/5

I like this

Fun energy, decent, inoffensive, but loses any unique flavor by the end. Not the worst thing I've ever heard though.

This isn’t quite a 5 for me, but it’s the first previously unfamiliar album in a while that I loved immediately. 4.5 rounded down and I saved the whole album for future listens.

I really thought this was Hozier, just because his big hit was Take Me to Church, a song I don’t love. Knew right away this wasn’t him, but it took all day to remember who Hozier was #seniormoment. Anyway, this was pretty good, a 3.5.

When I saw this album come up, I remembered “the mother we share” being huge when it came out, and I asked myself why I couldn’t recall the album. Then I listened and I got my answer. It’s fine. But nothing else rises to the level of that song.

Things CHVRCHΞS excels at: - Font selection - Album cover art - Choosing a title for an album Things CHVRCHΞS sucks at: - Writing lyrics - Writing music - Music

Not a good album in my eyes. Not fond of pop as a whole I think

Tästä ei kyllä jäänyt mitään mieleen. Meni taustamusana.

This is such shit. IMHO. It kind of encapsulates so much of what I don't like in pop.

I remember when this album came out and a ton of people listened to it, or at least the opening track. The opening track slaps, the rest of the aobum is meh. That opening track is why I bought this on CD so many years ago. TIL the group is scottish.

I feel like this music has no soul.

man i remember everyone being so obsessed with them when i was in college. it's funny listening to this now since it seems soooooo early 2010s and honestly irritating

I have a pretty big nostalgia factor for this album, l listened to it heavily the year it came out. “The Mother We Share” and “Night Sky” are especially bangers. It’s mostly held up really well and is a solid synth-assault album throughout. I love Lauren Mayberry’s vocals.

Oh, that was nice! I actually enjoyed this one a good deal. The post-2010 representation on this list is definitely questionable in a lot of places, but I think I'm actually okay with this one being here. CHVRCHES aren't a huge band or anything, but they're definitely not obscure either. They've seen success, and based on this debut album of theirs, I think it's deserved. This is a fun synth-pop album. I will start with my one complaint though. The album is definitely a bit lop-sided. The first half is pretty great, but while the latter half isn't bad at all, it's definitely not as impressive as the first half. But still, that first half is quite good. "The Mother We Share" is genuinely just a really great song. It made for a very good first impression for this band. Other songs like "Gun," "Lies," and "Recover" also impressed me. As far as things that make CHVRCHES unique, I think Lauren Mayberry's voice works pretty well for the music. She has a youthfulness to her voice that cuts through the music enough to stand out and feel important while still blending in enough for the sound to feel cohesive. The music itself is fun as well. I like nice synths, okay? I get this album. Combine the good sound with some interesting lyrics and you've got an album that I can find value in. The Bones of What You Believe is a respectable debut. It's an impressive first showing for a band with creative ideas that I found myself enjoying considerably. Good album. Light 4/5.

239. nice

Sounds like everything else from the era

I can see how this would be popular, but none of the ideas here are new. The extraordinarily twee singing on top of some derivative (but perfectly executed) synth drones became tiresome very quickly. Just go listen to Eurythmics or Yaz.

Somehow hadn't heard of their stuff before. Listened twice to form a full opinion. My initial reaction was very positive as I hadn't expected much, I prefer my synth shoegaze-y, but on re-listen a little flat overall despite some stand outs.

Completely listenable. Not much to comment

Nostalgia is clinging onto that third star hard

There’s a few songs on here that I really liked, but overall it’s pretty split. I found I enjoyed the songs with the female vocals much more than the ones with the male vocals. It’s all pretty cool and spacey though.

I believe this is fine.

Se me ha hecho un poquito largo, creo que me gustan más los CHVRCHES más bombásticos de más adelante, pero igual mola.

If depeche mode took antidepressants instead of cocaine.

the mother we share stays incredible good album

Diminishing returns after a decade but remains an excellent debut album and the first half still goes incredibly hard.

I'm more of a Cults fan than Chvrches, but this is a great record. Really modernizes that synth-pop sound from the 80s.

3.5/5

RRRAAAHH SO GOOD

This did nothing for me, just bland synth music, does nothing exciting

I'd listened to some of their later stuff but not this before. It's great. Somehow gothic and upbeat at the same time. You can hear their influences very strongly but they're definitely doing something new with them.

This might be the first album that was already one of the albums that I play regularly. It only took me 135 others to get to this one. It has a powerfully bittersweet feel. The synths sound amazing and it is very much in the vain of the Stranger Things 80s revival. Lauren Mayberry's vocals are just this side of cursive and really clear and sharp. I love the sound of this album and have already put this into my regular listening rotation. (4.400)

Tis a Bop.

Love

like it!

This is pop music, broadly speaking, but Lauren Mayberry is not a pop star, and not just because she occasionally cedes the stage to Martin Doherty. "Moral clarity" isn't a phrase typically associated with pop stars, for example, and yet Mayberry has it; witness her telling of hard truths to a sibling ("The Mother We Share"), her refusal to allow her ex to forget wronging her ("We Sink," "Gun"), her acknowledgment of the toxicity of her present relationship even as she continues to give into it ("Lies"), her admission that the same relationship *should* end even if she doesn't want it to ("Recover"). Doherty's voice provides a haunting counterpoint - low in the mix, low in his register, high on delay and reverb, as if it's being remembered when Mayberry would prefer to forget it ("You Caught the Light"). "Make me blind so I don't ever look back," she begs him on "Night Sky," at the moment when his echoing words drop out and he refuses to respond. The ultra-synth sound of this band you will either take or leave - but I'm taking it, and not just because I'm inclined to love it anyway. These dramas are worth hearing and feeling, however you end up categorizing them.

Never listened to them before but it's a pretty good album. She has a nice voice and some catchy riffs

good background music, nothing special, good sound

Raro que esté en esta lista. Me re gustó, es un tipo de música que escucho seguido y me gusta, de principio a fin mantuvo un estilo, con canciones fáciles de escuchar, pero tmb memorables. Lo que pasa es que en el contexto de esta lista me cuesta considerar darle más de 4 estrellas, porque perfectamente podría morir sin haberlo escuchado y no me cambiaba, pero le voy a poner 4 porque la pasé muy bien escuchandolo.

One good song does not an album make. This was so dated and twee and soulless sounding to me. Fav track: Science/Vision

Can’t believe I’ve not heard this before now, such a good sound, sugary sweet Scottish vocals paired with synth that throbs and twinkles in equal measure Always had them mixed up with Crystal Castles in my head who I haven’t heard either, just me?

Peak BBC radio 1 slop, nothing offensive but about as bland as it gets 2

This is the perfect version of what it is: and what it is is “not good”.

You know people who first appear alternative and edgy, but on closer inspection the outfit is a little bit too expensive and general appearance a little too clean-cut? Often x-tian vibes radiate. This is the musical equivalent of that.

They weren't the only ones doing the 80s synth-pop revival thing, but the strength of the songwriting and lyrics, and juxtaposition of Lauren's vocals really elevated them. Not my favourite Chvrches album -- my vote would unquestionably be for the darker, moodier Screen Violence -- but it's still a pretty impressive debut that manages to keep things interesting and reasonably diverse given the overall aesthetic.

Catchy and pleasantly surprised

Great melodies and production. Not always a fan of synth-pop, but CHVRCHES are some of the best the genre has to offer.

Pleasant Scottish Indie Pop. Strangely, just before finding this was by album of the day I played the Safety Net 7" by the Shop Assistants. Now that's Scottish Indie Pop!

This album surprised me a lot, first time listening to CHVRCHES and I really liked it! Top songs: The Mother We Share, By the Throat, Lies, Under the Tide, Recover

To be honest with you, whatever this sleep inducing, low tempo, chillaxing sub genre is of Electronica, it’s definitely one of my least favorite of them all. I get the appeal of listening to music like this. It puts you in a good mood. It’s fine to put this on when you need a good pick me up. It’s happy, non intrusive music that I would probably only listen to when I was trying to get some sleep. The singers are fine. Nothing special. Not amazing, but they get the jobs done. The tracks? They actually put me to sleep here, and they do a pretty good job at it. Memorable tracks? None of them. It’s pretty much the same all the way through. Of course, it’s also over an hour long. Albums like this always are. But yet, with all that harsh criticism, I still don’t mind it. It’s fine. I’m not going to really make this one stick with me, but it’s fine for what it is. If this is your kind of jam, I get it. But I want some more energy with my Electronica. I wouldn’t really dance to this. I like it well enough, it’s technically impressive and even when it’s putting me to sleep with the playtime, it still doesn’t really get boring. Samey? Absolutely. But not boring. In fact, it’s annoying that they actually try to introduce a bit of a darker tone aaaaaaalllll the way at the end of the album with “Broken Bones”. That song did stand out to me, and it quickly became my favorite on the album. I did opt to go with the Special Edition of this album this time, as it was the default on the site. It’s rare that I do that, so I don’t know if my pick for favorite was on the original album. Oh well, it was my favorite here by far. Dissonant, actually amazing singing, and a cool beat. That song might stick with me. Might have to add it to the usual rotation. So, there was nothing to dislike here, but nothing that stood out and truly pulled me in either, save for “Broken Bones”. It’s a low 3. Easy decision with this one. Sounds very similar to a lot of other artists who were all going for the same sound at the time, so I might be a bit biased. It hasn’t been enough years for me to want to start listening to this specific kind of music again. But it’s fine. I can enjoy it for what it is. I’ve also never heard of CHVRCHΞS before, but as a rule of thumb, I find anyone who stylizes their name like that a tad pretentious. Immediate strike 1. Anyway, yeah, it’s a 3.

On paper, Chvrches are everything I should hate. The music is all synthetic. The vocalist is more akin to pop than anything that I've ever embraced. The sound overall is glitchy, is a bit too video game. Writing a dispassionate description of the band would have absolutely put me off. I'm surprised hearing them didn't, too. And sure, their next few albums are parabolic in diminishing returns (the third being unlistenable). Sure, seeing them live I was mostly taken by how the two “musicians” had no presence behind their sampler buttons, while Lauren strode back and forth pumping her fist like she was singing party anthems instead of the vulnerability and perseverance and often just plain sadness… these are not party songs, is the point, even if the backing track is a bunch of buttonmashers. But that all came later. First, I was arrested by Night Sky. First listen, it was hypnotic, it was propulsive, it was something not quite like I expected to hear. And the bones, to parry off of the title, are good. Under all the unnecessary flash and glitz are songs that would work just as well stripped back. “We Sink” is due for an acoustic ballad rendition, “Tether” for an aching swansong. Imagine how satisfying that outro would be with even one organic instrument. So much of the album has its core buried under layers and layers of loops… think about how bouncy “Gun” sounds, then really listen to the lyrics. That Mayberry can tease that out of these songs is impressive on its own. Things aren't perfect, though. Specifically, the album would be improved dramatically if there were no male lead vocals. The two worst songs, the ones that would probably be the worst even if Lauren tried her hand on them, are made unforgiveable by one of the computer wizards desperately wanting to try a shot at fronting a band. Trust, this was also the worst bit of seeing them live. In any song they show up with any prominence, the male vocals are the worst bit, but at least the two where they take lead are mercifully at the end of each side, which means you can (and should) pretend the album is 10 tracks long. The other “lowlights" don't really hurt things. “Lies” just feels like more straightforward pop. This could have been an old Madonna song. “Lungs” is more uniquely Chvrches in its poppiness, and its general fitting in to the sound of the rest of the album helps gloss over the very sing-song melody. Really, the point is this album is a feat that probably shouldn't have happened, but it did. And beating the odds, making an album like this without it collapsing on itself like the cybernetic cotton candy it could have been, is certainly worth ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, even as it flags toward the end.

I remember this one being EVERYWHERE back in the day. Deservedly so - this album is awesome.

not really a genre i listen to but i was able to get through it.

einhver hefur tapað veðmáli hér

It was ok

Surprisingly good synth tracks and overall a decent feel. Really not a fan of the vocals though. Best track for me was Lies; gave juicy Depeche Mode vibes.

This is nice to throw on. The post-2000 albums on this list are an odd bunch, but I think this mostly stands up to scrutiny. It's not shifting my perspective, but's pretty good.

The Mother We Share Gun Under the Tide Night Sky Skips We Sink Lies

Interesting album with that unique "church" sound. Both vocalists are very good.

No. Not this one. This just sucks.

Modern synth pop never grabs me the way the original generation of synth pop artists did/do. This is likely due to my age and having heard (eg) Upstairs at Eric’s when I was a pre teen but The Bones of What You Believe when I'm in my 50s. So, all this to say, it's not a bad album and I could see why people would love it, but I was bored by the second track and it never picked up from there

I guess bubblegum electro pop is a thing. It doesn't mean I have to like it. And I definitely don't. This is way too synth heavy for my tastes. There are parts that aren't grating to my sensibilities. So that saves it from a 1 star rating.

I love the retro 80s vibe and the sweet vocals. I'm excited to hear more from them. 4/5

Había escuchando una canción que tienen con Robert Smith y esperaba algo más dark, pero no. Ni fu ni fa. Medio igual todo, pero interesante.

I really liked this! Different sound

I was surprised so see this album on the list. I think the only song I knew previously was "The Mother we Share," so I enjoyed the listen, but this is another album that doesn't particularly stand out to me from other synth-pop.

I am a synth guy, however this didn't do it for me.

This is another album that I am pleasantly surprised by.

I did kind of enjoy the vibe but it is WAY too long for what it is. An album this long needs variety, which this did not have even a little bit.

I turned this on and my brain immediately conjured the theme from KIDS Incorporated. At the better moments, I felt like they were almost like Postal Service. But not nearly as creative. It also has that bleh 2010s indie stomp-clap influence in places. It is very....produced. My ears were fatigued by the end. And her voice is exactly the same for every syllable of every word of every song. I'm particularly annoyed that this act made the list, but Ladytron did not. Ladytron are universes better than this band, if you are looking for electronica and synth pop.

From the first notes, this record fills me with joy. I feel like it is a sweet candy musically - lots of sugar and no substance. But it feels like it makes the space bigger and colors brighter. Not at the level of MGMT's Kids, but still... I am going with 4 stars because I am likely to listen to this again of my own accord. My rating system, for future reference: 1=Leave the room if it is playing 2=I would not put this on 3=I could imagine putting this on 4=I would definitely put this on 5=In pre-streaming days, I would definitely buy this. Today I would be happy to have a physical copy and I might even buy one).

nej

Un pop prolijo que probablemente me hubiera dejado más en mis 15s o 20s que ahora. Por ahora, me parece sorprendente que esté en este listado, no entiendo bien por qué.

The Mother We Share takes me straight back to Forza Horizon 2, and I’m sure there’s a FIFA song on here too. But beyond those, the tracks offer little variation

Excellent electro/indie pop

Surprisingly fun listen

Mixed feelings about this. If you listen to it as a pure pop album, it's pretty good. The songwriting is strong and unique, and I enjoy the retro-ish synths. But it is otherwise relatively toothless and has already aged kinda badly -- see the millennial whoops and edm risers.

didnt really feel much listening to this

I really enjoyed this.

It doesn't feel right to call Chvrches "classic" but that's what they are to me.

I remember when iTunes released "The Mother We Share" as a free single on a free singles Friday, where they'd release a handful of free songs by various artists. Sometimes they'd be great, sometimes there wasn't much to listen to. I remember this one because it was one of the ones I didn't like. I was also 13 years younger than I am now. Nowadays, I'll give anything a chance, including a former dislike. Now, I find the album decent. I'd say a couple of the songs might be added to my Spotify list of random gems from albums I listen to for this. It was very alternative/indie, which I dig more now than I did back then. In general, I'd recommend this one. I don't think this one will be in the top of my collection nor the bottom.

Unexpected goodness here.... Not really my style of music but this album hits pretty solid.

2010s pop that doesn’t get on your nerves immediately? I don’t believe it Usually not huge on this spacier modern pop but I liked this one quite a bit. The two vocalists are both pretty great and I think it does wonders in terms of adding variety and letting each singer play to their strong suits. By the Throat was a genuinely great song, so much energy behind it and it kinda exemplifies everything I like about this album. I don’t think there’s a whole lot of depth from a musical or lyrical standpoint, so that’s probably my biggest complaint with the album. Nothing too crazy instrumentation wise, nothing particularly special about the theming or lyricism, and not a ton that really makes the average songs stand out from the swathes of mid 2010s pop. Still, gotta give em credit where credits due this is a well done album in a genre that’s not easy to make critically acclaimed music. I can see why these guys never really got that popular, but I bet I’d like this a lot more than listening to an album by a more singles focused pop artist

coldplay meets stranger things

This album strikes me as a collection of tolerable songs, with one or two tracks that are decently enjoyable listens. I'll readily admit a pre existing bias against electronic music coming into this, and this album unfortunately didn't change my perspective on that. Too many of the effects used to break up the monotonous synth just became annoying more than anything. I would probably appreciate it more if they tried something different with the instrumentation. As the album continued, I noticed that my attention just started to drift. With the dance oriented nature of the music, I could imagine that the band intended for the songs to have a "groove" that sets in, but to me most of the songs just felt repetitive with the same synth riff. There are plenty of riff driven songs from other bands that succeed in reaching the looping state that they were going for on this album, but I can't quite put my finger on what prevents these songs from reaching that point. Maybe it's the instrumentation, or lack thereof? I don’t listen to synth pop generally, and while I tried to go in with an open mind, this album just doesn't do much for me. There were some songs, especially early in the album, that had nice energy and the synth feel was fun on some tracks, but this isn't anything that I would want to listen to without someone prompting me.

Starts out pretty well, some nice if only somewhat catchy synth pop, but there’s very little variety. The songs all blend together and become less memorable and less interesting as it goes on.

It was fine … but ultimately a bit samey

Makes me want to explore this band’s discography.

very interesting. the poppy surface is soon shattered, making room for driving electronica beats and even some dark synthwave parts.

Very sterile sounding album, but the 2nd half is better. Maybe I got used to the tones. 2.9/5.0

I did not get the hype with CHURCVES when they dropped. And I still don’t get it.

I am actually surprised how much I like this - can’t give it a 5 because it’s just not on the level what I have on 5 but it’s a very good album

Really good album, I've never listened to a lot of these guys but I've liked what I have heard and this whole album was a banger of a record!

Generic 2010's pop with a thin veneer of 80s sythpop revival. A few good tracks pulls this up, but found it to be mostly basic and uninteresting. 2/5 Our cat of 10 years passed away today, here's to you MaoMao ♥️

I don't understand why this album is on this list.

Попса. Скучная

Another case of a record I intellectually understand is derivative of myriad other records of its time (in this case, the retro-synthpop that infected the 2010s) but I like the sound so much I can look beyond that and have a good time. Don’t look for anything deep here; catchy fun is all. Best track: “Tether”

Scottish electropop debut from 2013. I went into this one blind and found it pretty enjoyable. It's catchy and I like the vocalist. Highlights: "The Mother We Share" (which ended up stuck in my head) and "Recover." Stick with the 12-track standard edition.

Enjoyable. Light and bright.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!!!!! so gooooood

Just a really solid millennial optimism album.

No. Just no. 1

0 swag. Not for me!

It's very polished synth pop and it sounds pretty good. Some songs like Gun are pretty catchy but the middle song, sung by the guy, reveals a fatal flaw in the band which is that if you deviate even a little bit from what's working song to song, it all collapses. Sort of a dead end for this type of pop music imo

Given that this album came out in 2013 I gather that it’s one of the 1085 albums, not the original 1001. Is it old enough to be considered for classic status? Is this the Chvrches album I expected to see on here? The answer to both is probably not- but what it does do is really good. I like the band, and I was familiar with this album, though I did expect that alongside the CHVRCHES name would be “Love Is Dead”, their third album, where I feel they really put it all together. We have their debut instead, and it’s a great synthpop cut, chock full of video game esque sounds, dreamy 80s synthwave modes, and even some upbeat dance type numbers. CHVRCHES would go on to improve on this formula, but the bones of it were fully calcified in this album. Lauren Mayberry’s floaty scotch vocals play well against the synth piano and drumbeat driven melodies, and the album is at its best in the quiet moments, something I don’t feel later albums captured as well. “You Caught The Light” might be the best song on the album- it’s dark, moody, and atmospheric, but not without velocity. And it doesn’t even feature Mayberry’s signature vocals. Martin Doherty does the singing on it, to great effect. It’s almost a Sneaker Pimps trip hop kind of feel, and it fits well within the album as a change of pace. Other favorites: Gun, Recover, Lungs, By the Throat, Broken Bones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

quasi 3, ma non posso dare proprio 3

Eh devo dire che questo pop elettronico anni 10 gasa, mi fa ricordare quando ero piccolo

Pretty basic synth pop

I tried but I just can't with these guys sadly.

Incredibly solid pop album start to finish. Great hooks, great performances and a fun/nostalgic aesthetic.

Quite fun and vibey, the songs sorta blended into one for me so I’m not rating it too high but still good

There are a few CHVRCHES songs I really like. But listening to this album has left me feeling like they're a bit of a one-trick pony. Like, we get it, you like synths. So do I! But hearing basically the same song over and over for 48 minutes does kind of wear on me. It's still better than a lot of the nonsense that's come up on this list though (can you tell I'm starting to lose steam now that I'm 600 albums into this project?)

Synth pop in general and CHVRCHΞS in particular are fine, but nothing here grabbed me. I don’t regret listening but I also don’t see me putting this album on any time soon. I wonder if their popularity says more about when it came out than anything else… 3⭐️

This is alright a low 4

7/10… synthpop / indietronica / *2013

Chvrches name David Bowie, Tangerine Dream and Eno amongst their myriad influences, so I ought to give them a chance really, listening to this album of radio friendly electro-pop, it's all a bit too twee really though, I doubt I'll make it through the whole album.

Never listened to that type of music, very nice discovery

Another average album on this list. Decent songs but no real variety in style. The singer also lacks a distinctive voice. I know they are trying to create an eighties type sound but it lacks the spark of that decades music

Goed gemaakt, weinig memorabel.

het soort muziek dat je enkel tegenkomt op tumblr

doet mij denken aan de scene in zootropolis waar da konijn voor de eerste keer de grote stad binnenkomt, klinkt heel corporate en overgepolijst

3.5 stars. Upbeat synth-pop with high-pitched (though not obnoxious) female vocals the primary driver. Hook-heavy and lyrics focus on break-up and revenge. Standouts are leadoff "The Mother We Share" and "Lies".

surprisingly not bad group. New to me. Glad to get some female front bands. 902

Had to paused after the first second of 'The Mother We Share' because it brought me so viscerally back to a very different time. It's not surprising that this band didn't really escape that moment, but a few tracks in the nostalgia faded away; even back then I didn't spend much time with the back half of the record. But still the pervading sense of optimism, bleeding through the Obama-era culture, was alienating and lame. I always thought the lyrics to 'Tether', probably my favourite track, were "I feel incapable of (saying it's over)", but this time I realised they morphed slowly in "I'm feeling capable of". Cute! Except I looked it up and it's actually just the latter: it's simply and flatly uplifting. Which is probably why the big musical burst of emotion following it is so muted and polite and underpowered. Still the pervading sense of optimism, bleeding through from the Obama-era culture, was alienating and lame. 'Tether' is probably my favourite track,

Really good electronic indie

This sounds like katatonia meets arcade fire meets new order. It's better than you may think. Chvrches is VERY underrated. They aren't EDM enough for the Dead Maus crowd, but they are too dancy for the Billie Ellish fans. Almost REM-esq in the "what ARE they" classification discussion.

Really enjoyed this. Interesting indie-synth-pop. It reminds me of the sounds of lots of other bands, perhaps because this was so influential?

Never heard of this artist, sounds like a modern indie flavoured synth pop which I swear I already heard so many times before, this is so damn boring. I am wondering if they will even reach 2 stars, just because it's a synth pop which I don't mind but I don't know.. P.S. Honestly I cant even finish this, so probably no more than 1.5 on RYM, not sure if 1 or 2 stars here, really quite boring stuff.

I simply cannot comprehend what is so special about this, to warrant it's inclusion. Unremarkable. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ enough Revisit ❌️ ★★☆☆☆ (4/10) Total reviewed : 341 Already owned : 77 Purchased : 16 To buy : 3 Nope : 245

3.5

really enjoyed this

Hard to believe this was almost 13 years ago, but I loved it when it came out and I love it now. This is a 5 star album that I'm giving more based on my own personal connection to it rather than a sense of "importance" in the overall music landscape, but I do think CHVRCHES has inspired other bands in this space. Huge and anthemic in all the right places, starting with track 1, and it just GOES from there. I'm a sucker for this exact brand of shimmering indie electronica and this might be sort of where it started. The synths sound massive and crystal clear, the beats are pounding, and Lauren's voice and gift for melody are a great compliment to the music. The Mother We Share is an all-time favorite song of mine (Night Sky is also in the running), but so many other good songs here. Fantastic throughout.

Album is fine. Not sure why it made the list.

Lies is a great track, whenever someone who isn't Lauren is singing it's not a good choice

Absolutely no lol

Ah man, this takes me back big time. Starting university, long nights playing FIFA and pre-drinking before student nights and trying to stay awake in lectures the morning after. This album featured a lot in those times. Listening back now, it’s nothing particularly groundbreaking, but on a personal level, those memories from a relatively carefree time, just living each day intertwined with songs like Gun & We Sink perhaps give me rose tinted glasses. Lovely stuff.

not my cup of tea

Mostly harmless. Probably a fun afternoon recording it. Nothing really stands out, or tries to change up the same of it all. Tether tried but ended up stepping back in line.

Mediocre. Obviously people love it or they have an aggressive marketing team. Not must listen.

Is this another one of those Frankenstein monster things where there is no actual playing of instruments, just sequencing? I don't know what to say really.

I am approaching the finish line of this project, and I am getting exhausted. It is hard to find anything new to say about some of the more recent albums on this list. This record is fine, it's really fine. I mean, it's fine. Chvrches were hot on the music blogs around the release of the record, but it doesn't seem to have had much staying power. One of the reviews cited in wikipedia said that every song could be a single, and maybe that's my issue; everything is polished, recorded big, slathered in reverb, and it ends up sounding like a dozen identical songs in a row. They use every trick they have on every song. But no, it's really fine. She's got a nice voice. They know how to program the Synthotron 5000 machine and the Reverb-o-matic and the Retrophonic Audiolator (set to "peak 80s"), which sounds pretty good. And they can write a tune and a hook. So, yeah, it's good, it's fine. I don't mean to damn with faint praise, it's fine.

Yes, this is definitely synthpop. Competently assembled, low-key, some gentle tunes. It chugs along - many songs are not catchy for me. First big exception is Recover, which I remember from when it came out. Then on a re-listen to the whole album, I'm getting more of the oomphy choruses and hooks I expect if I'm going to be enjoying pop music. But there are also songs that seem almost minimal - like I could dance, but I'd get a bit bored, because not enough going on. I looked at some lyrics, and nothing rocked my world. Three songs I positively like, out of 16, is not enough for a re-listen. It's Okay, 6/10.

Good to hear some more modern pop on the list. I liked it.

I recognise Recover from this record, and not because it's good. To me this album is torture.

Not sure how important or innovative this is, but the synth work is great, and that's obviously a win with me. There is something, though, that I can't quite put my finger on that feels sorta hollow about this. The vocals? The lyrics? At any rate, it's not a deal killer, but on a scale of Hate to Love, it's just a Like.

This was a fun one. What a good vibe. I did feel a bit of fatigue toward the end. I am curious enough about ther other stuff.

ppo

Good but I remember it being better than it is

Rate: 8/10

Day874 - i don’t know what’s worse the band name or the music they make

I like this kinda psychedelic album, for some songs it sounded like Madonna making electronic music 4/5

Whatever genre of music this is… I don’t like it. It’s lightweight and no substance pop music. It’s not unpleasant. I just does nothing for me. There is music adjacent to this that I do like.. say, Cocteau Twins, but the depth is night and day. 2.5

It's an electronic band that uses retro synth sounds and production to sound like 80s music. The nostalgia is strong, but the hooks are strong too, starting with the wonderful first track The Mother We Share. Lauren Mayberry's child-like vocal style might suggest naivety, but the lyrics are confrontational, challenging and thought-provoking, sometimes wistful. Put together, the resulting songs are earnest and pretty - electronic dance-pop with a sense of urgency. Lies reminds me a little of The Knife only without the dread. Gun is a poppy infectious dance song with 80s flavor. Recover is another 80s pastiche with plaintive vocals. I'm a sucker for 80s-style production and EDM, and this album doesn't really have any skipper filler, so...

Around 10 years ago I was deeply addicted to Geometry Dash. This album really took me back to those days. It embodies about 90% of the generic electronica you’ve heard over the last decade. That being said, I was really vibing with this on the first half. After “Under the Tide” though, it really started to drag, bringing me down from a 4 to a 3

I just couldn't get into any songs though was finding it interesting throughout

mano sla.. daora que foi um gênero diferente. eu curto tlgd. mas meio estranho pra mim.. tive um momento legal mas ao mesmo tempo fico pensando por que essa porra tá nessa lista cara? 2013? tem coisas do mesmo gênero MUITO mais importantes que isso e que fizeram muito mais pelo gênero.. eu posso tá louco

Eentonig.

Just empty pop, it's fine as background music. But nothing really special going on here.

I tried, I really tried. Her voice sounds exactly the same in every song. Couldn't get into it.

Probably my favorite album from 2013. Saw them in April 2014. Not the greatest stage presence but good lord this music takes me places. I haven't stopped listening to them since. It wasn't till the live show that I really gave Tether a chance, but that song crushes it - you get halfway in and there's an explosion of sound.

Is this early techno pop? I listened, didn't grab me, didn't offend.

What a great pop album. Super catchy and some fun electro feel. I recognized songs but that's it. Ill definitely relisten.

A key peice of the early 2010s synthpop revival, this is bright and bouncey, bittersweet and yearning. It's hyperactive, all glossy surfaces and polished artifice, purposefully failing to conceal a pained desire for more, the minor tragedy of fomo turning to banal dissapointment. Pure pop masquerading as indie dance music; Taylor Swift and Carly Rae Jepsen rip this aesthetic off entirely in the next two years and harness it to even more massive hooks and their commercial rocketship. Ends with a very cool moody shoegaze track with fuzz and shedloads of reverb.

Not my type of music

I'm not an electo pop guy but this isn't bad. I was expecting the worst and was pleasantly surprised by this album. Yeah it's got to many beeps and borps for my taste but I enjoyed her voice enough to cover for it. It's not a bad album, again it's a shock I didn't instantly hate it.

Man, I missed out not listening to anything but the single when it came out. Catchy, abrasive, pretty, this was great.

9/10 Addictive and fun album. Sparkling synth melodies and bright vocals. Euphoria mixed with melancholy. Banger after banger. Highlights: The Mother We Share Lies Tether Gun We Sink Recover Science/Visions Under the Tide (even though the guy cant sing, the ending is still fantastic) Lungs

Music for girlies who turned 22 and finally dumped their dickhead boyfriend, go to a festival with their besties, get drunk in the sun and yell and dance and go "Wooo!", then paint glitter on their face, take some shit speed and good molly and go for a dance at the main stage, hear a song when they are rolling and feeling themselves that help them realise they they were never the problem, they are a queen and they deserve more, and even though life is bittersweet they love it and love their bestie and love this song!

Great pop album with some bangers. A few too many fillers for top ratings though.

Reminded me a lot of Robyn. Updated 80’s synth heavy. Some catchy tunes. Didn’t mind it at all. Maybe a bit long/samey. (Now given six 3’s in a row. This was maybe closest to a 4).

Surely even Chvrches wouldn't have expected to be on the list. It's made it to a 2 because i quite like Recover. They could've done with more bass in my opinion, it all sounds quite tinny.

Peak Millennial?

Why? From the cheesy use of the V in the name, to the cheesy synths, to the cheesy overproduced vocals, this album is awful on so many levels. I guess some people like EDM inspired synth pop and if that’s the case then fill your boots as it’s probably a decent enough example of the genre. Personally, I’d rather have my gonads put through a cheese grater then ever have to listen to this guff again.

Not bad but not for me. I remember these guys being big and never got into them. Too electro too pop. One song every few weeks would have been fine but overall just too much for me. I get the appeal though. 4/10

Synth pop with an indie rock influence. It was okay. Better than most pop.

I had never heard much about this band beyond their oddly memorable name, and I had never actively searched for any of their work. Upon finally listening to their debut, I can say I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, the material here is mostly safe and ordinary by today's standards, and the songs usually make the most predictable choice for any of the required changes and switchups. Despite that, there's just something...more to this album that can't quite be captured by their contemporaries. Maybe it's the icy calm that's betrayed by the active beats, maybe it's the earnestness of the songwriting, maybe it's the duo's uncanny ability to make long-lost emotions well up in you as you go along this album. I'm not quite sure which it is, but what I do know that this album still holds up in the face of all that it influenced, even if 13 years of hindsight has aged it somewhat to how cutting-edge it must have sounded when it dropped. A worthwhile look into what synthpop had been up to in the years since its 80s heyday. Key Tracks: The Mother We Share, We Sink, Tether, Science/Visions, You Caught the Light

This was nice. Some really good songs here and a solid listen overall.

not really my thing

I can't claim this is high art, but synth-pop is one of my guilty pleasures. Plus I enjoyed the vocals.

I love the sounds on this, the songwriting on the other hand is a bit hit and miss - I'll definitely delve in their later albums

I'm actually a CHVRCHES fan, but I find this confusing. It's not a bad album, but I'm not sure I hear something in this that really hits like a generational statement, that makes this a record you MUST listen to before you die. Also, while this is their debut, their specific voice and creative vision comes through MUCH stronger in later records, especially Screen Violence. I think there's a much better argument for including that record in a list like this, rather than their debut.

Overall, not a bad album, it's okay having it in the background, but nothing really too exciting. It's definitely alright either leaving it in the background, or using the songs as a low-budget background-watch Netflix show soundtracks here and there. I was surprised to see how recent this album is, but then I calculated how many years ago that was and felt old.

Electronic music with depth. Kinda reminicent of Magdaena Bay, but without such pop beats. Haunting and poweful. A keeper. 4/4

Powerful earworms, immersive synths and a beautifully unadorned vocal presence from Lauren Mayberry. This album starts out on a tear but falls apart after track 8 or so when the melodies start to bleed together and the bludgeoning dynamics wears you out.

i like the vibe of this really good will listen to more and more

Kind of forgettable.

I feel like I need Leg warmers on to listen to this with Huge Can-like headphones. Where's my Ghetto Blaster Boombox!? Yet, the 80s sound seems inauthentic. Like the difference between the 80s depicted in the Goldbergs vs Stranger Things. They have the modern flares to it. Far too poppy for my tastes. The songs do tend to sound all the same. Elle Goulding vibe. I'm mostly indifferent to this. It's not bad, but not good either. It's catchy. Just not for me. 2.7

Somehow always missed this one despite knowing it would be completely up my street. 14 years late to the party is better than never!

I didn’t hate it

Not sure what was worse, the music or the spelling of the name.

Geez, this site sure wants me to listen to electronic albums seeing as The Bones Of What You Believe is the third one in a row i have heard these past few days and yeah, it's a great one. I've never really heard any of this band's music but i have frequently heard their name. I mainly like this for the fact that for an electro pop album, it is very deep, layered and complex. This is apparent in mostly the music and the lyrics. Those are the moments where i feel the album was at it's best as the much overly happy sounding stuff, while fine, wasn't this album's strong point. Definitely a really good album that i'm glad i listened to before i died. Best Song: By The Throat Worst Song: Gun

Highlights: The Mother We Share, Lies

What a band and a debut album. She is such a rock start. I have seen them a couple times live and they always put on a show. This is a great album not sure if it hits 4 for me, but definitely high 3's. 3.7-9. I'll give it a 4 though.

Hard to be unbiased about this one as I have it on vinyl and have played it numerous times. Lies is one of my fave songs.

So many synths! Was surprised to learn they were Scottish.

OK.

Atrocious.

I know someone who loves this band and I should have known it would be bad based on his other music taste. Still better than Mariah Carey’s bullshit though.

a gem from the 2010’s

Vari d

Surprisingly, disappointingly underwhelming. Not awful, but based on reputation I had hoped for more.

It's decent synth-pop but it gets old pretty quick

I already knew this record and liked it. I think this is a great indie synth pop album. Very cool sound design and good songs. I really liked it.

Upbeat and fun

sounds like 2010s optimism

Tecno-pop, synth-pop o simplemente pop, llámalo como quieras pero disfruta de una banda que tiene muy buenos momentos. Aquí, un espléndido debut, con 12 temas y nada menos que 7 sencillos (en 3 años): «The Mother We Share», «Recover», «Gun», «Lies», «We Sink», «Under the Tide» y «Tether». Las siete son las que inician su disco (aunque no en ese orden). Si imaginamos un triángulo entre Ladytron, M83 y Charli XCX, tal vez Chvrches encajaran perfectamente en él. Chromatics o Robyn podrían ser otro referentes, incluso Lorde. Pero Chvrches tienen mejores temas. No eran unos advenedizos sin pasado. Mayberry más allá de Derecho y Periodismo llevaba tiempo en la música, y Iain Cook con los ilustres Aereogramme y antes en The Unwinding Hours. Fue precisamente Cook al producir un disco (EP) de ella en Blue Sky Archives cuando supo que tenía los ingredientes que andaba buscando. Doherty había dejado ya The Twilight Sad para irse a Aereogramme. De su primer disco, destacan porque están siempre en mis playlist la inicial The mother we share y Recover (junto con Lies, de su EP con el que les conocimos, al menos yo). We sink es otro gran tema, como todo el disco, que anteriormente era cantada por Doherty (spoiler: gana con Mayberry). Tether y Lies, se mueven por los mismos parámetros: buena base de sintes, buena melodía y buena voz, pero se me hace un poco plano todo. Con Under The Tide la voz de Doherty asume el protagonismo lo que da un descanso. Night Sky es una balada etérea, bien. Science/Visions sigue la estela de todo el disco (mucho de M83). By the throat gana mucho al final. You Caught The Light es un estupendo cierre, algo melancólico (en unos años colaborarían con R.Smith) Funcionan las canciones por separado (con buenos finales todas), pero como álbum , todas juntas... prefiero el segundo. Y si no es con este, que sea con Every Open Eye y su mejor tema: Cleares blue (Depeche Mode en el siglo 21), también Leave a trace... 4 discos en 10 años, los dos primeros imprescindibles, el tercero algo más bajo de nivel y el cuarto recuperando terreno. Mayberry publicó en solitario Vicious Creature... es lista como pocas... Kate Bush siempre crea escuela.

Good one

Good album! Pleasant to pop on while walking in the woods. Favourite track: Lies

I already knew and liked The Mother We Share, but for some reason had never really felt the need to check out any more Chvrches. That was maybe my loss as I really enjoyed this.

Not my bag at all, sorry. It kept deflecting my attention, and when I would manage to check in, it always sounded like it was about to start.

I was excited to see that today's album is firmly in the 21st century, but perhaps not all that surprised to discover that the Scots came fully equipped with sounds from before they were born. They do a good job updating 80s-style synth-heavy pop to fit the 2010s--especially in the mixing department, with a much fuller sound than anything from 30 years prior. They have an impressive number of singles on the album, and a few of them stand out, mainly the opening "The mother we share" and "Recover". (A bit disappointing that the many videos seemed pretty uninspired.) The remainder is solid, and it definitely gets more interesting (and more modern sounding) as you get to the second half, but overall it's not really the kind of sound I gravitate towards (a bit like The War on Drugs), which is not their fault or problem, I know. An impressively strong album for a debut though.

This album is mostly the same song, just with all the words changed, repeated 11 times.

I have what you may call a slight bias here. I’ve been a huge fan of CHVRCHES ever since the single for “The Mother We Share” released in 2012 and the first reviews I read indicated critics mostly thought ‘We’re already doing retreads of Silent Shout?’ But CHVRCHES were primed more to hit hard as the poptimism movement was just starting to take off and critics were starting to thaw on electro influences and enormous pop hooks: you can hear The Knife’s DNA in here if you want to, but you could also just as easily hear parallels with Tegan and Sara’s Heartthrob or Taylor Swift’s 1989. To this day this album remains my favorite from that era just as I was coming of age, but there’s still so many listening pleasures especially in the deep cuts: the dark arpeggiating synths of “Science/Visions”, the double-time power balladry of “Recover”, and fuck it, I’m a Martin apologist: even on the shoegaze-pop of “You Caught the Light”. The synth textures eventually got smoothed over on follow-up Every Open Eye (which I also love) and things maybe got stretched too thin by Love Is Dead (though I still maintain that Screen Violence is still great 5 [!] years on). And while we can discuss the synths on this album at length, the beating heart of this band remains Lauren Mayberry, who on this album especially marries wordy, often cryptic lyrics with dynamic-shifting vocal performances that don’t go all the way into belting territory but probably don’t need to, either. The end result is pop music that’s a little pretty, a little polished, and a little jagged. Even if it sounds ‘dated’ now it’ll still always be my polestar for the 10s synthpop revival that I’ll still probably always love.

4 out of 5. I have a soft spot for this group after seeing them love and hearing more than just their radio singles. For electronic pop this hits right.

Favourite tracks: Gun, Lies, Night Sky, Science/Visions I love the retro vibes. Totally would've belived this was released in the early 2000s or earlier. Great vocals too. However it does get a bit boring after a while. There's enough to keep me interested but at times the pop influences make me scrunch my nose up. 3/5

Might be because I just listened to Pet Shop Boys yesterday, but these guys sound like natural descendants of that kind of 80s synth-pop to me. If a friend told me I should listen to this, it would feel like a pleasant little diversion and I might say, "Thanks for the tip." If someone told me that I MUST HEAR THIS ALBUM BEFORE I DIE!, I would say something like, "Why again?" Still, mostly harmless.

I feel like a lot of the people writing pop today were listening to this album

'The way is long, but you can make it easy on me.' Well, there's something here, something real, passional, & restorative, but it's also I've-heard-it-all-before-I-think-in-Walmart-music, & no surprises are ultimately proffered w/ these twelve tracks. 'Trade our places, take no chances / Bind me 'til my lips are silent.' Then again, synth-pop doesn't necessarily go for surprises, more like prolonged astonishment, the kind you get during a night out that has no single moment of revelation but a marathon of confidence & well-being. Personally, I'd rather have a bit of both, the long run as well as the short term, but CHVRCHES gives you religion & much less fun than you'd think. It's fun enuf tho, & proficiently produced, so I acquiesce . . . for now.

Some nice songs and vocals but too much synthesizer for my taste.

No

A dear late friend of mine stored his record collection in moods, seasons, occasions rather than alphabetical. Today’s album, a synth pop, 80’s influenced record would not be an album I’d go out of my way to listen. However, an early morning walk along the canal with the sun shining, birds singing and this playing was absolute joy, a real feel good album. Now I get why he stored his records that way

Synth Pop. Not bad, nothing special either.

Quality album

2013 Me really dropped the ball on this one - it's right up my alley. Glad to have finally found it!

I have a hard time not reading this as Chu-verches. Solid synth pop.

Definitely interesting. It really caught my attention. I think this may grow on me. Really liked "The Mother We Share", "Gun", "Lies", "Science/Visions", or "You Caught The Light". It's probably a bit too long. It's 3.5 stars for me.

Ik had wel eens van deze band gehoord, maar had niet gedacht dat ze zó vol in de synthpop hoek zouden zitten! Fijne verrassing dit. Sowieso kom ik er tijdens dit album behoorlijk achter dat ik een stuk meer al kende dan dat ik dacht. We Sink, Tether, Lies,. allemaal bekende nummers! 2e helft van het album gaan ze trouwens volledig de synthwave hoek in, hele lekkere verrassing! Ik vond het daarvoor al best wel vet, maar dan ook nog een volle synthwave plaat met Broken Bones? Ok, dat is een bonus track, maar heb me eigenlijk niet ertoe hoeven zetten om het album af te luisteren. En fuck it, de bonus tracks zijn het AB-SO-LUUT waard om te luisteren, wat een heerlijke vibey nummers zijn dat zeg. FAVO: We Sink, Tether, Broken Bones

umm why are they on the list?

This has a subtle and not-so-subtle thread of yearning. The constant feeling of wanting something more, connection, understanding...

Big sounds. Big feelings. Everything is big big big. I see the goodness but not necessarily the greatness. Maybe that's enough. It does not wear out its welcome. If things ever flagged I found myself intrigued by what came around the next corner. Startled but not surprised. What more can you say about a modern album. 3.5 stars.

Overraskende dragende og solidt. Især første halvdel. PS der står Churches...

Fin indie-pop. Kendt fra PSexy

Familiar with these guys, starting 3 songs I enjoyed then they lost me through the rest

First Impression: Sad Blümchen doing an Imagine Dragons album. It's fine. Musically, I like it a lot. Lyrically, not really into it. I don't need a bunch of break-up/make-up songs that blend together in a haze of neon-colored LEDs. Thanks though. Sounds like what Taylor Swift *thinks* '1989' sounds like. I do like "Science/Visions" and was hoping for more of that. I didn't get it. :\ Now I'm just sad. If they had leaned into that dark synth sound and dropped the teeny bopper crap I'd have loved this album.

I will admit I have personal bias for this album. I was already kind of familiar with it and really like the singles from it. That being said, I do think that it slows down at bit towards the end and doesn’t quite have the same energy and impact as the top of the album. But the sound and synth was so unlike what everyone else was doing at the time, and it’s hard to listen to it and not want to jam along.

It’s very mid, I am not really sure how it made it here honestly. It’s not bad but it’s nothing astounding. Just a very middle of the road album. The typa shit my wife would listen to, and not in a good way.

I don’t normally hate synth pop, but I couldn’t stand this and it took a lot of effort to get through the whole thing. Just felt like generic and boring dance music with generic and boring indie vocals layered on top. Also as an aside with no real impact to my rating, but I work with radiation and seeing trefoils used in pop culture is a huge pet peeve.

Особливо ніколи не слухав Чьорчез. Знаю, що був великий гурт в середині десятих, багато друзів їх зацінювали. Мені здається, що був на якомусь фесті, де вони грали, але я пішов на щось інше. Альбом практично не пам'ятав, окрім хіта-відкривашки. Приємна поп-музика, все побудовано на синтах. Є трохи філерів, проте загалом альбом приємно слухати. Я б поставив 3.5. Розумію чому цей альбом може тут бути, хоч я його сюди не додав би)

Дуже добре пам'ятаю хайп на цей гурт і я навіть сам трохи піддався йому тоді, ходив на їхній канц у 14му році. Насправді доволі мила музика, але як на мене, постарішили черчес не дуже добре. Ну або як мінімум слухати зараз їх мені не дуже цікаво. Але приємна ностальгія по тим часам виникає коли слухаю цей альбом (бо наступні мені не подобались і я скіпав).

Never heard of this band and enjoyed the album. As a child of the OG synth movement this group does a nice job of carrying it forward. Nice vocals too.

I was already familiar with “The Mother We Share” and “Recover” both solid tracks I’ve heard countless times out in the wild. The album as a whole is good and consistent, with that same polished indie synth sound throughout. Definitely something I could come back to and enjoy again.

We had it so good in 2013

Great album, I have it on vinyl :D

A very easy listen. Damn solid synth pop, enjoyable from beginning to end.