Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Fine cute pop, but didn’t really make me feel anything.
Nice
I expected this to be more dated, but it actually holds up pretty well. I didn't really get into them at the time, as I thought they had blatantly ripped off Purity Ring's sound (who you should definitely check out if you like this). I still feel a hit like that, but there are a few really good songs on here so I can forgive them.
So so bad, how this is on the list I don't know
This one was hard to rate. I think there is some really good songwriting on this record. The singer is wonderful. But I really wanted to hear some of these songs without all the overdone electronic synths. In spots it works, but it gets tiring after a while. Give me some analog instruments! Overall, I’m going to go 3/5. A couple more dynamic changes and some reworking of the instrumentation would probably get me to a 4.
I thought I might enjoy this more but it just feels like Tswift edm.
A perfectly pleasant album with some decent tracks on there but, once again, is it really a must listen? It probably wasn’t even in a list of the top 50 albums from that year…
Another strange inclusion to this list. It’s not that this is a bad album per se, just one of many that was released and possibly somewhat popular at the time but was just of its time, with little enduring legacy. There are many other bands attempting the same synth revival (eg. Purity ring, Robyn, even the wknd) so at a loss as to why this is so much better than any of their peers.
Oh what to do about this album. With an 80s throwback feel (or is it a revival?), many of the songs would be great for an animated film. Dropping F bombs with such a sweet and innocent voice seems out of place.
Synth pop raises an element or trepedatiousness in me however it rated reasonably well on the toe-tapping scale. I would quite possibly listen to a couple of these again but potentially not all in on go. It’s probably about 2.5 stars but as it’s the season of goodwill, and I haven’t been to chvrch for a while, I’m going to round it up.
A very beige offering! A couple of times I thought it might spark into life but no, nothing doing. I think there is some good songwriting underneath but the vocals do nothing to lift it out of the dull pop norm.
Oh goody, another chance to slag off the 2000s. I’m no fan of 80s synth pop, but at least the best songs were catchy. What the bejesus this more contemporary version is supposed to bring to the world is beyond me. Are there any uplifting or good hooks in the lyrics and melodies? Nope. Any novel electronic sounds and beats or excitement whatsoever? Absolutely zero. I seem to recall these guys were considered ‘indie’ at the time. Seriously? What’s gone wrong with the kids in recent years, where’s the invention, so much ‘new’ music including pop is so effin ploddy and bland. Why do so many bands sound like something their parents would wholeheartedly approve of, that ain’t rock and roll is it?!?!
Favorite track(s): no standouts, perfectly inoffensive, could've listen to Lorde or Charli instead
a perfect 2013 album
Amazing album, not only the singles hit hard
Damn it, i wrote a whole thing on this and somwtimes this website doesnt save, but reverts back to the previous album notes. Frustrating. Anyway, i cant be nothwred writing ot all again. Not terrible but not amazing.
Not for me. Couldn’t get into it. Was very bored
Someone introduced me to this album a long time ago, and I didn't enjoy it too much at the time. I thought the vocals sounded like a child, but between then and now I'm less bothered and it sounds like decent indie.
# Playlist Track - The Mother We Share # Notes - Pretty fun. Solid first impression with great cover art and opening track. - From there, it doesn't quite keep up, but it's not a bad album. It gets steadily worse, and it drags too long (1h07m), but I might come back for the first few tracks every so often.
Sublime !
Nice move by this band coming up with a way to notice their name in a way that it sticks in your memory. Trouble is I never thought they were Scottish and guessed they were French. But I was so unmoved I didn’t bother to research and didn’t give them another thought until today when I did learn they were from Scotland. Whilst Scottish they do sound like they could have been manufactured by any enterprising producer known to bring us the next big thing. Good pop music if you like that kind of thing. 2/5 11/12/25
Not bad for that style
At its best, this is phenomenally catchy anthemic synth pop. Shame a couple of very ordinary tracks slightly spoil the mood.
Nic specjalnego. 2
Now this is my cup of tea
While listening to this record I thought: I want more synth and less pop.
It's nice but doesn't do much for me. The vocals are nice, the music is generally fine, I just don't feel all that strongly either way about it. Not something I'd likely return to. Some of it feels a little too busy to me. Like there's just too many different layers to the synth. "Lies" is particularly irritating to me. Mostly the synth, it's kind of annoying.
This was pretty decent for what it is. Enjoyable…
Although I became more of a fan of these guys with their second album, this one is still pretty solid. I remember hearing The Mother We Share and Recover across a number of mediums when they were released. Which makes sense as they are some of the obvious standouts. A lot of this does sound alike, but still..their take on 80s synth pop with a new edge provides a lot of good ear candy.
I like this band. I got hooked by The Mother We Share when I first heard it and then caught these guys live. I remember being pretty impressed with how big they made these songs sound. Solid album
Listened to this album a fair amount when it came out. I liked it and thought this would be a high score. Still held up for me but not quite to the level I thought it would. Also a little tough for me and bands like this when I feel like they may have done some damage to the traditional rock band setup and dude is playing all the drums on a pad. Regardless, I still enjoyed it. 3.5
I checked a couple times to see if the M83 dude was guesting on some tracks. Forgot how similar they sound at some points. I am a big fan of Recover. Thought this may be a 4* going in but didn’t rise to that level. Started blending together. Still solid, tho. 3.5/5
Modern synth-pop with hooks for days. Crisp, clean with synth washes and pin point precise vocals. It could verge on lacking any emotion it's so well put together but it stays just on the right side of humanity. Best Tracks: The Mother We Share; Gun; Recover
This is actually a really good and catchy album. Quite consistent, no really bad songs, but none that make my heart go boom either. It’s a little too much in one sitting
Nothing special.
Nichts Spezielles.
Decent pop music
It's ok but I don't get the hype
If I think there’s a single focal point of where my music taste came from originally - it probably is this album. Well, this album and Every Open Eye (which is arguably better than this album haha). I remember my dad first showing me this album the year this came out at the ripe old age of 10. It instantly captivated me, beautiful synth pop with such great vocals, which I kinda had a thing for British pop vocals at the time thinking back to it. Road trips would always have this record on rotation. So in a part, this reminds me of childhood too. The mother we share and Recover especially, it’s just… perfect. And then I wonder why Magdalena bay is my favourite band of all time haha, it all makes sense now. Thanks CHVRCHES
One of the reasons why I appreciate synth pop so much is due to the CHVRCHΞS. While this album is not as good as their following album, Every Open Eye, the elements that make that album so great are definitely here. The Mother We Share and Recover are such great hits, backed by other great tracks that highlight their greatness. Mayberry's vocals pair so perfectly with this genre of music and wrap this album very well, even if my girlfriend didn't appreciate it. Great addition to the list even if I wouldn't pick this album by them.
Very Good
Fun and poppy and dancey!
Every song sounded the same to me
Es ist ein mitreißendes Debütalbum, das Synthpop mit emotionaler Tiefe verbindet. Die glasklare Stimme von Lauren Mayberry trifft auf treibende Beats und eingängige Melodien – ein Sound, der sowohl tanzbar als auch berührend ist.
Generic girl pop playing bad New Order covers on a cheap keyboard.
Pretty solid songs on here but suffers from the fact that they don't stray far from their single style
Helt greit, noe bra inni der
I remember reading about them, probably around the time of this release. The stylised spelling of ”Churches” was slightly annoying to me and I can’t remember actually hearing their music until today. Easy to listen to - doesn’t require much or challenge the listener in any way. Melodies are pretty good. Heavily influenced by 80’s synth pop. Not bad at all, but I believe I’ll forget about them soon. 3/5
Has some promise but feels more like music for 6music to appreciate rather than truly enjoy
Electro-pop. A complete project in terms of cohesiveness, but that cohesiveness also made it difficult to distinguish between songs, when not paying full attention. 3/5
Hey, this one's easy because it was my 2013 album of the year. Here's the review I wrote for The A.V. Club: At the end of 2012, Scottish electro-pop trio Chvrches had little more to its name than a couple songs online and a bit of buzz. When The Bones Of What You Believe, the group’s first full-length, comes out this week, the band will be on a sold-out U.S. tour, playing bigger rooms than it had when it came through those same cities earlier this summer. The polite yet insistent buzz from the beginning of the year has grown to a roar by fall, making The Bones Of What You Believe one of 2013’s most anticipated albums. Much of the attention Chvrches attracted last year was due to “The Mother We Share,” which the band had released online. It opens The Bones Of What You Believe and is the album’s leadoff single, with good reason: It’s one of the year’s best songs, propelled by overlapping synthesizers and a triumphant chorus that vocalist Lauren Mayberry carries higher with her lilting voice (made more charming because she doesn’t attempt to hide her accent). “The Mother We Share” attracted a lot of attention toward the end of 2012, but the band wisely kept it off March’s Recover EP and let it anchor the full-length. As good as “The Mother We Share” is, it wouldn’t be enough to carry the album, but Chvrches follows it with an even catchier song, “We Sink,” and another solid track, “Gun,” making for one of the strongest starts to any album this year. The rest of the album doesn’t sag, either; the only track that stumbles is the moodier “Science/Visions,” and that’s mostly because the discordant backup vocals clash with the other melodies. The song finishes strong, though, and is preceded by a pair of standouts, “Recover” and “Night Sky.” A lot has been made of Chvrches’ similarities to The Knife, but The Bones Of What You Believe owes more to earlier electro-pop and electronic rock bands, such as New Order, OMD, or even Yazoo. (The New Order/OMD comparison feels especially apparent when multi-instrumentalist Martin Doherty—a former touring member of The Twilight Sad—takes lead vocals on “Under The Tide.”) “Science/Visions” veers away from the album’s poppier sound and into straight-up EDM, and moody album closer “You Caught The Light”—led again by Doherty—conjures Disintegration-era Cure. Chvrches’ bread and butter remains highly melodic, synthesizer-based pop, but with just the right amount of darkness, thanks in part to Mayberry. She has a law degree and a masters in journalism, so she writes like she has something to say, not just to fill the space in the songs. She, Doherty, and multi-instrumentalist Iain Cook have crafted one of the year’s best albums, which means that buzz won’t be dying down any time soon.
Only took till 2013 but someone figured out how to make synth music not suck. Well done. Feels very modern and relevant, I wouldn't have been surprised if this came out this year. Enjoyed the whole thing.
Fun album
Freaky I was just listening to this. Reminds me of my college radio days and a really fun electronic record with beautiful and epic moments .
Good and easy to listen to po-synth music that feels like I could have hear on the radio 10 years a go. I really enjoyed listening to it but it also feels like music I have heard before.
CHVRCHES’ The Bones of What You Believe is an astonishingly boring debut. The songs drift along in an almost identical synth-pop formula, with no tension, no surprises, and no real character. Everything sounds cleanly produced but as interchangeable as background music from a commercial. Lauren Mayberry’s voice is clear, but it does little to save the completely predictable hooks. In the end, it’s an album you forget immediately after listening — and that might honestly be the best thing about it. CHVRCHES’ The Bones of What You Believe ist ein erstaunlich langweiliges Debüt. Die Songs plätschern in nahezu identischer Synth-Pop-Formel dahin, ohne Spannung, ohne Überraschung, ohne echten Charakter. Alles klingt sauber produziert, aber austauschbar wie Hintergrundmusik aus einem Werbespot. Lauren Mayberrys Stimme ist zwar klar, trägt aber wenig zur Rettung der völlig vorhersehbaren Hooks bei. Unterm Strich: ein Album, das man nach dem Hören sofort wieder vergessen hat – und das ist vielleicht sogar das Beste daran.
This album had me By the Throat under a beautiful Night Sky.
Joyful electronic pop from Scottland. Synthpop debut.
Decent.
This was a bundle of electronicky sparkly poppy fun. I thought I would know more songs from this album but it was all new to me. I especially liked "Under the Tide." It's a nice change to hear something a bit more recent from this list.
Loved it! Listened several times.
Seems chilled. Wouldn't skip... Wouldn't seek out
Fun an funky, hypes me up
"the mother we share" is one of the best songs of the decade but nothing else really lives up to it
Why? Uninspired Robyn. This has no business being on this list. Synth pop that will be forgotten in time.
Bland and overproduced pop does not have a place here.
This was one of the first albums that ever got me into synthpop, and I think it's incredible how well it holds up. It has so many unforgettable moments and absolutely killer synth riffs, but at the same time is so epic and even emotional. Truly one of my all time favourites, I had a great time revisiting it again for the first time in quite a while.
The Bones of What You Believe is a great example of an issue I have with the list's post-2000 additions. Feels all too often that the editors picked the most popular albums in a given genre / scene rather than the actual important or trailblazing works. CHVRCHES are not a bad band, I actually quite like a couple of their songs, but they are certainly one of the poppier examples of early 2010s synth pop. Why are they more notable than Crystal Castles, Grimes, or even the Knife? That aside, I do think there's some good stuff here. The Mother We Share is a great opener and I also really liked Lies. That said I think the album leans too heavily on big bombastic synth songs that get a bit samey.
Couldn't really buy into this. Also aware I may not have given it the attention it deserves. Too samey.
Reminds me of my ex-fiancee. She loved The XX, which continues to strike me as an even darker version of this. I'm not a fan of either. It's interesting to hear this so recently after Autobahn and Blue Lines. The long influence of Kraftwerk and, later, Massive Attack seems to extend to CHVRCHES. Mopey breakup vocals atop heavily-processed instruments (electronic and otherwise). Reminds me of a retread of some 80's styles but if you want that, listen to Bleachers instead. This isn't un-talented music, it's just that, for me, electronic music should be like fun drugs. It should lull you into a pleasant trance, leave your mind relaxed and wandering like a psychedelic or else be pure, uncut cocaine (Fatboy Slim, I'm calling you). This is a fistful of downers at a rave. You should listen to this with friends so they can keep an eye on you. 2/5
Nothing stands out, maybe not my style.
My wife and I saw Chvrches a while ago and the couple next to us perfectly timed their beer run for when the guy sang his 3 songs in the middle of the show. Anyway this album is synth-pop perfection. Favorite tracks: The Mother We Share, Gun, Lies, Science/Visions
Did have the makings of something really good but doesn't quite land in places 3.5*
Favorite Track: The Mother We Share
Really liked this when it came out and it stands up well 12 years later. Cracking 80s throwback, synth-pop/indie and I really like the singer's voice. If I have any criticism it's probably that it's a bit of a one-trick pony, but it's a good trick
I was a bit hot and cold on this, at its best it was some well made pop music, at its worst it was some fairly generic sounding pop music.
Very poppy synth music with consistent energy and nice vocals. Music that just makes you feel good
Lovely synths, she has a pretty voice, don't know if there are many memorable tracks past the opener
There’s not much to say about this. It’s fine. Some songs I already forgot about but others have cool atmospheric feel. I imagine this is what guys who play soccer listen to.
A personal classic. Was a favorite of mine when it came out. Great synth pop and awesome singing.
No sé si podría escuchar todo el álbum, pero me ha gustado más de lo que esperaba. A ratos me suena optimista (aunque no le estoy prestando atención a las letras). ¡Por fin una voz de mujer! Aunque todavía con el inglés.
No sé si podría escuchar todo el álbum, pero me ha gustado más de lo que esperaba. A ratos me suena optimista (aunque no le estoy prestando atención a las letras). ¡Por fin una voz de mujer! Aunque todavía con el inglés.
Oooh i did like this! Reminded me of the band Broods. Good things and happy to have a reason to try this album, better late than never! :)
Very fun electronic/alt-rock record. Plenty of synth and digital instrumentation, paired with poppy, upbeat rhythms and ambiance. This has a feel-good mood throughout and keeps a good groove. Not my first exposure to CHVRCHES, but first full album - I dig it.
jaja, det funkar väl. det är rätt så kul. alla låtar låter på pricken lika dant men det är faktiskt ändå ganska bra. minst två låtar för långt dock.
It makes me happy, these magical vibes. Like I'm sitting on a picnic blanket by the lake in the summer.
So pissed I never listened to this before. It’s so good. It manages to presage a lot of the synth pop that’s really become mainstream nowadays
Je reconnais que c'est très quali, mais j'accroche pas trop à cette vibe synth-pop / dance qui sonne pour moi un peu niaise (dans les mélodies, le mix et les rythmiques un peu entraînantes). Donc un 2 subjectif pcq je prends vraiment pas de plaisir.
Trop bizarre, j’ai déjà l’impression d’avoir écouté The Mother We Share (en tout cas la mélodie principale), et j’arrive pas à savoir si c’est un sample ou l’original. Je m’attendais pas à écouter un album de synth-pop d’un groupe écossais, mais c’est toute une vibe. Je suis rentrée dans ce genre un peu par accident, en tombant sur le son U Wanna Dance? de Magdalena Bay, qui reprend un peu les mêmes codes que l’album de chvrches. Donc je suis un peu biaisée par un effet d’écoute récent, mais dans tous les cas je trouve la proposition intéressante. J’arrive pas à savoir à quel point elle pouvait être considérée originale/novatrice en 2013, parce qu’aujourd’hui le genre synth-pop et hyper-pop est assez développé (et des fois c’est difficile de trouver des morceaux vraiment différents ou de tomber dans le genre musical à la “geometry dash”). Il n’empêche que malgré le rythme un peu bouncy, les effets sonores, et une impression de légèreté par moments, les paroles restent assez deep et m’ont marqué par leur violence sous-jacente haha. Pas mon album préféré dans ce style, mais il faudrait que j’aille le replacer dans le contexte musical de sa sortie. J’aime vraiment beaucoup les morceaux The Mother We Share, Recover, We Sink, qui sont plus dans le spectre des aigus et qui rendent un son très clean. 3.7 arrondi en haut par souci de cohérence.
One of the greatest albums ever? Really? Pretty ordinary Synth Pop.
Its a nice-enough sound, but one of the best albums ever? - I dont see it
Some high points
Enjoyed the synths
Love the album, love the vibe, love the overly sweet synth pop. Maybe it's because this came out in the height of my love for the genre, maybe it's because I saw them live, maybe it because I'm just in a good mood. Anyways I think I love this album. Maybe I should marry it?
That was on the new side of things for me. I had heard stuff like it, stuff from my kids and occasionally on TV. I did not not like it. I'm going to let it sit in the shuffle for a while and see if it grows on me.
кажется это был первый альбом который я достала из списка лучших альбомов за год… 12 лет… с тех пор чуть-чуть приелся и немного потускнел в мерзкой тени следующих альбомов, но я очень хорошо помню интенсивные и долгие впечатления из предыдущих лет
This was a nostalgic pull. I remember being on Tumblr when CHVRCHES released this record, Gun and The Mother We Share were on repeat. All in all, this is a decent pop album! It is punchy, energetic for most of the listen, and has quirky synths to serve as ear candy. The album had a strong start and had lows (mostly the slow tracks). I'm teetering between a 3 and a 4, but ultimately landed on a 3 because I have to be in a very specific mood to listen to this album again. However, I enjoyed my listen and revisiting my angsty teen days.
I'll Be A Thorn In Your Side 1001 Albums Generator 154 (11/04/2025) CHVRCHES' debut album, The Bones Of What You Believe, is a pretty good piece of synthpop. The first half is very good and has a lot of energy, while the second half is more inconsistent and vibey. I think the vibeyness works on songs like the closer, You Caught The Light, but not so much on songs like Recover. However, the production on this album is consistently good; the sampled and chopped up vocals throughout are my absolute favorite. Lungs also has some interesting industrial-esque elements. Also, the vocalist sounds so good. She kind of reminds me of early Lorde, which is definitely a good thing. Overall, The Bones Of What You Believe impressed me, but has its weaknesses. 3.5/5, rounded down to a 3. Favs: The Mother We Share We Sink You Caught The Light Least Fav: Recover
Not that great
I had heard the hits from this album before but the full album was great. You can tell they were in a zone when making this
This started off alright, but then all of the songs sounded the same to me.
Another ok album, nothing to write home about
01) The Mother We Share - 10,0 02) We Sink - 9,0 03) Gun - 8,5 04) Tether - 8,5 05) Lies - 9,0 06) Under the Tide - 8,0 07) Recover - 9,5 08) Night Sky - 8,0 09) Science/Visions - 8,0 10) Lungs - 8,0 11) By the Throat - 8,5 12) You Caught the Light - 8,5 TOTAL: 8,63 (87/100) Current ranking: 103/718
You can guarantee that as soon as the editors of this list heard in 2013 that a new synth pop album came out, despite it being 30 years past relevance, they had a joy aneurism and immediately kicked off some more deserving album. Starts off sounding like candy pop. Second song continues sounding like candy pop with more synth. As it goes on, the album kind of gives me the sense of some sort of millenial coming of age movie that bombed in theaters but 12 years olds say "Dad, you just don't get it. But our uncle Sven who grew up listening to 80s pop jams to it."
I added a star because the singer has the same last name as my mom.
Some of it was okay. But mostly the beats are anxiety inducing. And is it really influential??? I'd more influenced by someone else than influential.
At the time, I think I wrote Chvrches off as a flavor of the month group and didn't give them a fair chance. Honestly, I really enjoy it. It's not the trite pop I was expecting it to be. Lauren Mayberry, has an infectious voice, and the dancey synths and rhythms make fore memorable songs. I'll defienitely need to listen to this again. I don't know how essential this is, but a great example of early-to-mid 2010's culture.
Buoyed by the radio hits
Very nice. A vocal is perfect!
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 synth-induced monotony just became annoying more than anything. I would probably appreciate it more if they were used to supplement more traditional instrumentation, or if they were prominent on a more limited set of songs. Some songs, like The Mother We Share, are pretty infectiously catchy. This might be a case of me coming to this genre a decade too late, but some of the vocal intonations (e.g. the oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh hook on The Mother We Share) were inescapable in my college years to the point that they were beaten to death. Points to CHVRCHES if they were the first to do it, though it's not a trend I look back on fondly. 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(?) repeating ad infinitum. 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'm pretty unfamiliar with 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 80s synth feel was fun on some tracks, but this isn't anything that I would want to listen to without someone prompting me.
I have no strong opinions either way on this album. Cocteau Twins for millennials.
Wow this album took me back to being 23 and the ski condo I rented with friends where we’d sit around in a circle and do poppers. I was also hooking up with a DJ named Quincy Dancer 😂. I snowboarded to the song Recover a lot. Wow. What a time. I don’t think I like this that much anymore, though I did listed to Tether a few times on a walk yesterday
I missed this as a thing in 2013 and maybe it would have been a good fit for my last-year-of-law-school-taking-the-bar-in-love-with-a-someone-who-pees-in-a-yogurt-container-being-lonely-in-the-east-village year, but for a first listen now it was just pretty much just ok?
I have a lot of nostalgia for this style of electronic pop. It was the music of my high school and early college days. The first song feeeels like a coming of age movie to me. So of course I love it. That said, listening to this same style for 50 minutes straight is fatiguing.
Pretty good. Me like synth. 3.56/5
That's really not my type of music but I enjoyed it. I'd be happy if someone put it on in the background, but that person wouldn't be me.
The Mother We Share Gun Lies Recover
A bit staid after a while but overall very good and listenable. 2nd Glasgow album in 2 days 😎
Bit cheesy and sweet for me. Mostly sounds like a decent for Eurovision entry in 2011.
Too pop for my taste
Sounds like if COIN and Lorde had a religious optimistic love child.
Very skillfully crafted ultra poppy saccharine garbage. I got my hopes up several times, but was unable to make it all the way through a track.
I won't say this album does nothing well, BUT I have no idea how it made this list. Recover is the only song keeping this album from getting 1 star. Update, now that I am reaching the end of this album the back half of the album is growing on me, but too little too late. Its still 2 stars, spotify tried to push the Deluxe edition on me and I just couldn't make it through the bonus tracks
I think I may have gotten these guys mixed up with Crosses. This is way more on the poppier side than I had thought they were. Like this floats in the Taylor Swift category. So yes, this is pure pop with hints of 80’s style synth. It’s a little too intelligent for pure 80’s music. I’m not sure what the hype is about these guys or girls I guess. It’s not terrible. If T Swift was a 5 and Sade was a 1, this would be a 3.5 If Radiohead was a 5 and Green Day was a 1, it’d be a 3.5 Get it? Choice cut: Lies
Great album, preferred the more bass driven numbers. Under the tide is my favorite
4 might be crazy here comparing to other albums on this list, but I really enjoyed this. Also "the mother we share" really throws me back to the early days of Spotify - one of the first songs I found through Discover Weekly.
I love Chvrches
Boring. Sounds like it was made with the idea of selling the songs to commercials and overly earnest mid budget indie movies. Did not finish.
Thought it was a bit silly that this came up on the list, shows the list’s 2010s bias, but I’m not gonna lie to my friends and say there aren’t some bangers on this thing!
no comment
I was pleasantly surprised to see this album show up. Whilst i'm not sure exactly what set this album apart from this era, it's one I really enjoy listening to, and it helped uplift me get through a dreary Monday morning commute. The synths are great, and Lauren Mayberry's vocals always stand out to me. It's a fun album, with standouts including The Mother We Share, Gun, We Sink and Night Sky. 7/10
Dette var en gruppe jeg hørte om en gang, da /mu/ hadde et kollektivt crush på vokalisten. Siden den gang, har jeg knapt nok hørt om denne gruppa. Etter å ha hørt skiva, er det god grunn til det. Dette er den type skive noen kommer til å grave frem fra glemmeboka om 20 år og si "woah, drøyt bra synthpop fra starten av millenniet -- underrated." Bare nei, dude, dette glemte vi med vilje. Noe ved denne skiva bare funker ikke for meg i det hele tatt. Jo lenger jeg hører på den, desto hardere trykker den på en eller annen nerve som irriterer meg. Er det for fake 80s? Er det fake sentimentalitet? Er det at den er dominert av synth-lyder som hverken er originale eller som rekontextualiserer presets man har hørt før? Eller er det en mismatch mellom vokalen og intstrumentalen? Sikkert litt av alt, men fordelingen blir jeg ikke helt klok på. Det kan hende jeg tar feil. Hvis indie pop fra rundt 2010 hadde en sound, så var det denne. En slags post-MGMT, new romantic synthpop med digitale synth leads og emosjonell vokal. Men når jeg tenker over det, tror jeg det nesten bare er vokalisten som tar musikken i en kontemporær retning, mens instrumentalen er 80s pastiche. Fortjener kanskje to stjerner, men nervene mine beslagla den andre.
Dette høres ut som en fordums tid. Jeg liker soundet og blir nostalgisk, men det er ikke nok til å løfte de middelmådige låtene.
Dette er det første ordentlige 2010 elektropop albumet vi får. Med vocal chops og hele pakka. Håper det ikke blir noe særlig mer av det. Dette orker jeg ikke
2.5
Honestly I kind of like the synth pop nature of this album . I don't think they really push a lot of boundaries in the genre either but it is a nice energetic listen. (7.3) ★★★½ I also think I like their 2018 album *Love Is Dead* slightly better... That's a higher 3½
Really don't like this type of synth pop production. 2 stars
Despite my initial reservations, Chvrches kind of won me over. I still think they either sound like an edgier version of Taylor Swift's 1989 or a less edgy version of The Knife, but I think the songs and production are really cool throughout. Standouts for me were "The Mother We Share", "Recover", and "You Caught the Light". I do think Lauren Mayberry's voice is a little to pop sounding at times and that's what holds it back most for me, but still really good. 4 stars.
3.5
I believe the sun should never set upon an argument. I believe we place our happiness in other people's hands. I believe that junk food tastes so good because it's bad for you. I believe your parents did the best job they knew how to do. I believe that beauty magazines promote low self esteem. I believe that this is a completely bog standard synthplop album that should not be on the list, cute Buffy Clyro The Vampire Slayer vocals notwithstanding.
Not into it
A lot of hate for CHVRCHES out there, but honestly, I put it on and the world feels a bit brighter. It's not particularly complex musically, lyrically, or thematically, but it is a fantastic example of what pop could be.
There's nothing obviously wrong with this, but my hipster lenses also prevent me from seeing what merits its inclusion on this list. Every song starts out great, then quickly had me wishing we could move on to the next.
Loved the synthesizer instrumentation. Overall style (and vocal style in particular) wasn’t my cup of tea before but it grew on me a fair bit in this album.
Would listen to this again in an H&M and nowhere else
Airy yet upbeat like a Japanese Tiramisu
3.5/5 Bastante pop y entretenido, pero solo algunas canciones las volvería a escuchar
Wow!
honestly I remember liking this album when it came out but I couldn’t get through it this time and found it annoying 😩 sry I have no critical thoughts except that the production felt mid and I can’t believe it’s on this list? lol
If I had to describe what I thought adulthood would sound and feel like in high school, it would’ve been a CHVRCHES song. (Now whether that actually came to a fruition is a matter of debate.) This album took me back to peak high school, and it holds up. They are so good at what they do. I think their music, for me, is less about the lyrics and more about the feelings the sounds invoke—their whole sound is very “hope core” to me, but something I wondered about yesterday was whether this sound felt that way to everyone else, or if it just felt that way to me because I associate it with a simpler time in life? Much to think about. I’m happy I listened to this. I’ll be adding it back into my rotation.
I’ve known of Chvrches but haven’t really listened to much of their music. This one was a pleasant surprise. I’m a big enjoyer of the Depeche Mode, Synth Pop sound so it was cool to see this was very much in that lane. One thing I can appreciate about this type of synth pop is the range of moods they can put on display with certain songs being upbeat and give an almost 80s synth pop vibe with the vocals and synthesizers, but also very moody and dramatic when they let the Moog pop off. Special credit to the singer as well. I don’t think I would’ve like this as much listening to it first released as I was too much of an edgelord. But happy it came my way now.
This album captured the exact vibe I was on in high school. It feels like it was plucked straight out of my rotating playlist of alt-pop/rock music from that time. It speaks to a simpler time, when we were hopecore pilled and looking forward to the future. I truly enjoyed listening to this, the beats were fun and they made me want to listen to them more. Not sure what else to say - when an album makes you feel something when you listen to it and puts you in a certain headspace from the first track, its pretty solid.
This was interesting, I really like the retro synth sound of this and I went back to listen to a few tracks on headphones for a better experience. Whenever I have to do that to an album, I ratchet up a star! 4 stars for me.
I've been enjoying CHVRCHΞS ever since I caught their set at Lollapalooza back in 2018. A modern-day synthpop group where all three members share the workload on synthesizers and production, while Lauren Mayberry helms the lead vocals, they've refined their style and writing over the years to the point where I consider Screen Violence to be one of the best albums of 2021. Needless to say, I was looking forward to going back to their debut, and it still holds up over a decade later. From the blaring start of "The Mother We Share", the instrumentation on this record harkens back to the early 1980s with such a booming impact and presence. The synths are crisp and balanced out by thicker beats and effects that keep the mix busy without feeling overcluttered. All the while, the production remained surprsingly rich, giving the sound enough breathing room and swell as needed. This sound comes especially handy when the band crafts such memorable hooks and melodies, with a lot of upbeat energy and distinct character behind Lauren's dignified yet approachable soprano vocals. Martin Doherty may do a solid enough job on his features, but it's Lauren who makes this album work so well with her measured and emotional delivery. As for the lyrics, The Bones of What You Believe is about showing you everything you believe in your heart to be hollow. In the wrong hands, such a direction could be considered abrasive or obnoxious. Yet, CHVRCHΞS prevail here by including the necessary nuance and detail. "The Mother We Share" opens with Lauren assuming the role of the neglected sister opposite the favored son, as her delivery balances the anger and regret with the love she still holds for the brother in question. It's this kind of morally ambiguous framing that carries through the record, exploring various relationship troubles, like the tired weariness of "We Sink", the explosive anger of "Gun", the desperate recapture of an old flame on "Lies", and the cautious approach back to the lover on "Recover". There are a few notable exceptions. "Science/Visions" sees someone cave under pressure when confronting questions they can't understand, but still attempt with futility anyway, which is applicable for both relationships and the cultural divide between the supernatural/religion and science. Meanwhile "Under the Tide" is a stridently optimstic tune where the imagery of keeping one's head above water is a potent metaphor to keep one's spirit up after a fallout. The album's theme comes into focus on the closing number, "You Caught the Light", where one comes to realization that their beliefs and dreams may not ultimately matter compared to the greater truths or what their partner (or ex-partner) might actually want. It's a moment of humility and quasi-redemption that neatly bookends the record, encapsulating how we, as individuals, are not the center of the universe and should be open to other beliefs and interpretations, all framed in terms of human relationships that I think we can all relate. Yeah, The Bones of What You Believe is great, a debut album that took a lot of risks. CHVRCHΞS have largely improved their songwriting since this record, but it's amazing how well they established their identity from the get-go.
Years after the rise of Chvrches (at least among my social circle), I'm listening to The Bones of What You Believe and recalling the songs that my friends played trying to get me into them. It's only that I like my synth-pop in limited quantities, and that container is already full. And yet this is an immediately likable representation of its genre — I don't have any complaints for what it is. That's the thing you have to ask yourself after the first track: is this what I want?
the singer is really good, but i only like a very specific type of synth-dominated music, which shines in "lungs", but of the rest, some are decent like "we sink", "tether" "under the tide" and "recover" the mother we share: 72/100 - like the theming we sink: 73/100 - also like the theming gun: 45/100 - just don't care for it at all, skipped it halfway through tether: 74/100 - singer works really well with this slower but intense melody, dont like the instrumental synth part as although the melody is good i think it would've worked better if it was dominated by the guitar and drums, but overall pretty solid lies: 30/100 - its honestly worse than gun, really don't like this even though it has some instrumental similarities to tether under the tide: 77/100 - this singer is just ok, but i genuienely enjoyed this, not too much else to say recover: 66/100 - also not much to say, its alright night sky: 68/100 - didn't realize until this track, but the simple lyrics work incredibly with the singer, solid track science/visions: 50/100 - whatever, honestly was actively forgetting what happened earlier in the song while i was listening lungs: 88/100 - genuienely loved this one, everything good from the tracks preciding is consolidated here, like the backing vocals in "science/visions", the simple lyrics in "night sky", etc. love the synths here too which i don't think i've ever said about a track by the throat: 74/100 - honestly a lot of what i said about lungs i also enjoyed here but to a lesser degree you caught the light: 79/100 - great finisher, but the intro is a bit too long for my tastes
I really quite enjoyed this. The syths were excellent. Wasn't the biggest fan of the vocals at first - reminded me of the meh XX singing - but I learned to appreciate the female vox when the boring male vox appeared on two tracks (last track being the worst). Lots of excellent dark pop songs like Tether, Lies, and Science/Vision. Good example too of how some albums are too long. This one wasn't but yurt bonus tracks at the end were all pretty dull. If they were on the album proper it would have brought this down.
This was alright, some really nice synth sounds and her vocals are cool... But it was a lot, there wasn't much in the way of dynamics and I felt some of the interesting synth parts didn't have space to breath because of it. I think if it was a bit more stripped back on places the differences in the tracks would have stood out more, but as it is I found it hard to pick them apart. As an individual track I think I'd like these, but as an album it felt pretty samey.
Some good tracks
Random
oh no... 2
There must be something in their synths
Flat
Synthpop is my jam always but I enjoyed how well they captured the 80s vibe and at times were adding what sounded like dub step influence
Nice sounding Synth-pop album, she has a nice sounding voice
I'm not that far into listening to the albums, but of all the albums I've been given this is the one I have the hardest time understanding why it is essential to listen to. It seems like good synth pop, but it is pretty unremarkable. I appreciate that they brought forward the sounds of the 80s into 2010 pop, and maybe that's the simple reason they are here - this album as an archetype of that particular moment in music. Completely listenable, but altogether pretty just...fine.
Strange giving Netflix show Musik aber nicht schlecht wundert mich das es bei 1001 dabei ist kann man sich geben aber nicht ganz mein Geschmack Best song: The Mother we share Rating 3,6
Decent album. More poppy than I was thinking it would be. Liked the feel of the album.
I've never listened to this album (21). Boring and bland. Mall music.
Great album - pleasantly surprised
Not really my cup of tea but I appreciate them after seeing them live
It's fine synth/electro-pop, but I just have never been able to get into Chvrches or understand how highly they are rated by others. I don't think the hooks are strong enough or the music stand out quite enough or the songs being unique enough from each other or other music out there.
Strange mixture of the awful and the awesome.
It’s the kind of album that makes you want to dance and cry a little at the same time.
Good. Then long.
I think the first time I heard of chvrches was their Arctic Monkeys cover on YouTube, which I liked a lot. This album was pretty good. Lot of catchy songs. The male vocals weren’t as good as the main singer.
Listened a few days ago forgot to rate
10/10 - I absolutely loved this album. I have been waiting since the start of this journey to listen to it and it was totally worth the wait. I have been listening to the first 4 songs nonstop this past week and the rest are all good songs. I had never heard tether before but it’s been my favorite song recently
It’s quite good. The first 4 tracks kinda carried the album and were noticeably better than the rest, but those 4 were really good
Absolute blast.
Forgive me CHVRCHES, I wasn’t familiar with your game. And wow, what a game it is! No wonder this is one of Kojima’s favorite bands—this is a fantastic debut album! The synths feel timeless, yet I wasn’t surprised to find out this album came out in 2013. Will have to look into this band’s catalog more after this.
The Good: We are not limited to one Chvrch! The Bad: We don’t understand why… The Ugly: Having your believes be compared to a femur… Okay, so the above is silly, and makes little sense… kind of like this album being part of the 1001 list. Then again, it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t great either… and here I sit, realizing that it just is all about believing, and bones, and chrvches… I will say this, for now, and I’m over 500 albums into this list, I will argue that this is my favorite 2010+ album, so there’s that! 3*
It sounds like a lot of music of its time, I don’t have a good enough ear to really pick out what makes this one unique. It’s fine, there’s nothing really wrong with it. But at the end of the day do I personally like the songs I’m hearing? Meh Rating: 2.4
Just pop music. Nothing more, nothing less.
It's ok. Better than a lot of pop because there's a bit of musicality behind, but even that is all keyboards. Her voice is pretty good, but it's always in the exact same register/timbre, so it's all too same-y. I do like the one song the guy sings on more. Nothing here calls me back to listen again. Giving a 2 because it's not overtly bad. It's just boring and kind of generic
I just adore this album - it's so magical and wonderful. I don't even care about looking into specific genres. It's just a wonderful album.
One of the most pop sounding albums I have encountered on this list. It isn't really my thing. But even I can hear that it is very well made and the musicallity is definitely there.
Ok, this album was... Ok. I was in with the first two songs, if they were the only songs on the album. What happens to me with this kind of music is that I get bored too soon. It is like listening to the same thing over and over. One song is nice. I wouldn't say it's great, but I can listen to it. But not more than this, please. So, yeah, I don't find this album interesting in any aspect. It keeps on getting boring and boring, more and more.
Definitely not my style at all. Very pop-y and repetitive. I think I could comfortably die without listening to this album
This was ok, I mean like it could’ve been worse but it was really samey and super poppy and I didn’t particularly care for it. It was an ok album
Kinda sounds like something I should dislike because I think a lot of electro-pop from that era has aged really badly but I have to admit that this is well done and just a good time. Uplifting, fun, anthemic, but maybe better in small doses because it does get kinda tiring. The songs are good individually but doesn't work that well as an album.
Quite different from what we have heard before here. Lots of the songs sounded the same but I liked the sounds and vocals.
Really just not my style and they gave me a weird Christian vibe. I could see how people may like it though.
Qualifies for the category of better than expected
Definitely not my cup of tea but some of the songs are not too bad ("The mother we share", "Under the tide"), so I can justify 2 stars.
This is an album that I actually listened when it came out. Transporting me back to 2013, even back then I would have not included it on a list such as this one. This opinion has not changed. Even then, the record felt a little too uninspired and tame for me and I remember seeing Chvrches live and getting home with the same feeling. All the songs are a little too same of the same and I personally was never a fan of Lauren Mayberry's voice either. The synth pop of that time was probably just not for me. 2/5 stars as the record meant a lot to my friends back then and I will ask them how they (would) hear it today.
This is an excellent album. Atmospheric at points, bopping in others. A great album from start to finish.
Surprisingly enjoyable synth pop. I knew a few tracks, but there were some album tracks that were also very enjoyable, and I particularly like the few that got a bit darker.
It's OK but veeeeery generic. No song stands out apart from the last track. 2.5/5 rounded down to 2/5
Didn’t expect to see this band on this list. Glad this album was included, very catchy and production is great
Went from Gary Numan to this. The evolution of Synthpop. The Mother We Share is the best song on the album. It's feels overly long and got a bit samey towards the end. 3/5.
Good listen - 3/5
Nice
Nope. I can't do it. This is not the first time I've heard songs from this albvm, but it's the first time I've attempted to intentionally listen to any of it. It's really terrible. It combines the worst of '80s synth pop with the worst 2010s pop singing. I gave every song on the albvm a solid try. I listened to at least the first 30 seconds, and a random 30 seconds in the middle of each song. That's all I could manage. There were no songs that I could listen to straight throvgh. It's hard to tell if this shovld be one star or two stars. One Star seems kind of mean to this band that is probably nice people. Bvt it does fit my one-star criteria of never wanting to hear it again and actively going ovt of my way to make svre that happens.
Synth-pop is pretty hard to hate. Well-crafted bops with an absolute angel of a voice by Lauren Mayberry’s which I fell in love with. Something about the soft, fragile, little singer fronting such a wall of sound that works really well. I liked the album. It was fun, upbeat, introspective and well crafted.
The cover art is cool. I thought this would be something much different than it is. My bias against female pop vocals instantly took hold. The dude sucked too. But, ignoring that, the instrumentals are boring. To me they almost are something interesting, like an imitation of music I would be into. Instead I find it boring, repetitive, and my first 1 star.
joa ganz nett
Why covldn't they jvst call their band CHURCHES? 4/5
Dad- 6 Mom- 4 Mike- NA Lori- 3 Michael- 3.5 Miles- NA Cole- 4.5 Avg- 4.2
i usually love slutty synth pop but this was a lil too slutty
This is pretty good overall. It IS overlong, and it does start to feel a bit samey at times, but then a decent, upbeat track will hit and I'll be more on-side again - or a track will land with a different kind of energy or atmosphere to it. There's some decent synths and soundscapes in here. 3.5 rounded down.
I like CHVRCHES, but as with a lot of “indie” bands like this that are on the list, it’s hard to determine what makes them them the band or album that you MUST listen to. It’s good, but is it really the bellwether?
I’m always more skeptical of recent albums on this list I’ve never heard of because none of them have had the time to really age and see if they’ve stood the test of time or have well known broad appeal. And my skepticism is usually well warranted. This album was by all means not bad, but there was nothing I loved about it either. Listening to it just kinda happened.
Found this to be kind of boring. Little distinction between songs. 2/5 Won’t listen again
I am not a fan of this album. First three songs and I was out. The electro drum beats and the overall feel of this album is really not my style.
A favorite.
Very good album. I already enjoy CHVRCHES and was a fan of The Mother We Share, but hadn't heard the rest of this album. Strong tracks throughout, though I will always prefer the ones with Lauren Mayberry doing lead vocals (thankfully that's most of them).
Fun and energetic album.
Good setup. Nice sound bed, voice fits the music. But no big hooks. This kind of music needs BIG hooks. Example: Passion Pit - Take a Walk. No Take a Walks on this one as far as I made it.
This is a band I know of, but that I'd never listened to. I wouldn't have this as a great album at all. It's a nice enough eletro-pop album, with slightly irritating vocals. Tends to be a bit samey.
Nice, very even, indie-synthpop album. Certain songs are quite good, though listening to them in album form, can start to feel rather "same-y" after a while.
Enkelte greie melodier. Likte ikke innpakningen.
Interesting 80s sound though album is 2013. Lots of synths and poppy female lead vocals. It's a fun listen. I give it a solid 8/10.
The more I listened to this the less I liked it.
Kinda reminds me of Paramore.
Surprised me this. Listened a couple of times and it really grew on me. Got Biffy Clyro vibes from the tunes with the male singer. I like it. But the spelling of the band name is pretentious and annoying.
No thanks, not a fan
Начало очень даже бодрое, ближе к концу больше медленных песен и от музыки уже устаёшь. 6 из 10.
This was the first one that really didn't hit for me at all. I mean, was it terrible? No, definitely not. It was just...not much of anything. I kind of liked the big, pristine synth pop sound to start, and figured maybe I'd find my way into a genre I haven't explored much at all, but what I got from that first few seconds was literally everything the album had to offer me. I don't remember a chorus, melodic line, musical section, or lyric that stood out to me, let alone an entire song that did. I don't want to be a hater, man, but I'd be lying to give this thing anything higher than a 2.75.
Never listened to this band before, and while the genre isn’t really in my wheelhouse, this is so exceptionally executed that it gets a solid thumbs up even if I’m unlikely to ever spin it again. This is arena filling electronic pop with huge melodies and hooks it’s impossible not to have worm their way into your brain. Fun record
Not bad, the first song is definitely the best. The album has a nice sound overall.
I like the intro to the first song. The verse kicks in and it feels like every other pop song. It still makes me want to sing along. Ok, this is good, but all the songs blend together. This is good, but also forgettable. Live or in a club it would be a great time. Each song feels like a variation but man I do like this. It’s just “happiness”.
Fucking awesome. Reminded me of tiny star by The Blasting Company, I really love this genre of music and it does seem like it is the pinnacle of using this kind of sound to create something catchy and cool. All the voices complimented the super high highs of the instrumentals, so it didn’t seem like the contrast of all the shit was like too annoying
This album started out strong: I like synth-pop, I like the singer's voice, the songs are catchy enough in that way that the more ambient-sounding T Swift songs sound. Now I'm on track 6 and I feel like this should be over already. I'll power through, but my attention span is not built for this type of music.
Out of all the modern synthpop bands that appeared in the 2010's, CHVRCHES are definitely one of the best. They may not evoke the 80's as much as, say, M83, but I think that makes them sound fresh and forward thinking. This is a collection of tightly-written, catchy pop tunes with detailed production and a charismatic vocalist in Lauren Mayberry. I don't understand why they would have one of the other guys in the band sing lead on a couple of songs, those are definitely the lowlights here. Ignoring the cringe pop feminism of Mayberry's public personal is not difficult, as these songs don't seem to tackle any social issues. I would also recommend the band 2015 follow-up Every Open Eye, which might be even better than this debut. Key tracks: The Mother We Share We Sink Tether Recover
Way better than I expected tbh
Hell yeah, this was a delight to listen to. Groovy synth and uplifting vocals.
Can confirm that this was a hit in Belgium. So maybe it's something in our waffles that makes us predisposed to indie electronica from scotland. The lyrics are very clear in the mix which helps with making it get something of an anthem vibe.
I enjoyed this a good bit, it can start to get samey after awhile. Standout track for me was Lies. The Mother We Share was the one song I was familiar with before listening this time.
Nah ts lowk heat, def a new kind of synth pop im gonna continue to explore
I got this album on cd when I was in high school and haven’t really listened to it much after that. So for better or worse this feels very much like a high school album to me. Pretty fun synth pop though
Interesting listen. A lot of the songs start to blend together as the album goes on, but i really enjoyed the production quality. The electronica melodies are infectious and the performances are solid. Wouldn't hate hearing some of the bigger songs on the radio. Top tracks: Gun, Lies, Recover
I see what they are going for. It's pop, edm, rock, all softly done and it's fairly catchy. Just would prefer if they lost one of the tags or leaned more on one than the other to give the band more identity.
This one's cute, interesting, not in a bad way. Idk what it is but it reminds me of a mellow version of The xx. Science/Visions was quite good out of them all
It was a nice listen to, nothing stood put as ground breaking but I relaxed to the vibes
Solid listen, lots of feel good tunes here. This album felt like the perfect road trip play. Upbeat and light could keep spirits high as you drive into the distance with a full blatter and only a big gulp cup as hope for relief. Maybe this uplifting music will put your friends in such a good mood that as you dare do the 18 wheel whiz into the 72oz container they can't hear your load lighten as they are dazed by a synth almost right out of the 2nd Tron movie. But you know, that's JUST me thinking out loud. Nothing more.
Sounds nostalgic, even though I never listened to this artist before. Reminds me of the era of Minecraft-video's and other 2012 stuff for some reason. I liked this, but the album got tedious pretty fast. The noisy synth blares and drums get tiring quick and the 1 hour runtime is just too long to be justified IMO. There's some nice moments here, but as an album listening experience it wasn't to my liking.
Hmm. Some nice electronica groves going on here and there, but vocals are boring
love the vibe
From what I had heard from radio play I did not think I would like this album as much as I did. It is a liitle more pop sounding than is my taste but it has a lot soulfulness for a mostly synth-pop album. The singer's voice is captivating in a waifish kind of way and the arrangements quite nice. Lots of hooks as well and a good sense of melody. My issue with this kind of music is none of those melodies stay with me after the listening session is over. 3.5 stars
10/08/2025 This isn't my sort of music at all, but I was surprised that it wasn't actually bad.
Ok
Pretty good 80s synth pop revival. Arguably better than most 80s synth pop. Like an indie version of Katy Perry or something. It's 48 minutes, but it seemed shorter. Favorite song: by the throat
I do like the CHVRCHES sound, but blown me down with a feather if it isn't sonically identical across the entire record. I guess that's the aesthetic they were going for. Quite middle-of-the-road in songwriting too. Lovely Scottish vocals though. Favourite tracks: The Mother We Share, Gun, Tether, Recover, Night Sky.
Not really listened to chvrches before. Ok, but plenty better to go above it on the spin list.
This was fun, reminded me of high school
Definitely not the kind of thing I prefer to listen to. But, it wasn't horrible and didn't offend my senses.
Surprising good.
Wow this was so good! The synths hit just right and I'm obsessed with the female vocalist.
One of the main reasons for me doing this whole album of the day thing is for what happened this time. Some Scottish synth pop band that escaped my notice. I love synth pop as one of my "big" genres. My world veers techno, synth, trip hop... so this is "in the bubble" of my musical taste, and it does it in a big way! I loved this! Not for everyone? Honestly, I don't care! This review is not for the masses, it is for me! Their vibe is "all around" what I like and unique enough to be now "on my list" of worthy and great bands in indie synth. Yeah. I get it if people disagree, it IS very much a genre thing. But for those who love this vibe, you are likely to love this band!
Synth-pop can go a number of ways. It can be uplifting and carry you to a new plane of wonder, or it can be dull and by-the-numbers, draining you of the will to live. Fortunately this is closer to the former than the latter. It shows promise and despite being over an hour, doesn't *quite* overstay its welcome. One-star deduction for the band name spelling though...
Listenable but does not merit to be on this top list.
CHVRCHES are just one of those bands who instantly captivated me since the first time I heard/saw them. I never knew how much my love for them would grow in the years to come, but I absolutely adore them to this day.
Another 5/5, I’ve heard this one before and was actively seeking it out similar music after hearing this. The whole album is amazing
Nietszeggende, overgeproduceerde synthpop. Zet dan Hot Chip in de lijst.
Great!
Not for me it feels like an ill conceived the Knife or Fever ray album. but made for dumb patio bars in santa monica or sunset blvd.
Good. College dance party vibes. Too relentlessly positive for me, tho.
My heart says this is a five, but ten years later, my mind is saying it's a four. I'm going to follow my nostalgia tinged heart.
The Bones of What You Believe by CHVRCHES is a vibrant, uplifting, and sonically rich debut that left a strong impression on me. I went in with no expectations and was immediately hooked—this is the kind of album that grabs you from the first listen, especially if you have a soft spot for indie electronic music like I do. Each track bursts with energy and features infectious melodies that linger long after the album ends. The synth-driven production is polished but never sterile, and the emotional undercurrents in Lauren Mayberry’s vocals add depth to the shimmering soundscape. Favourite Tracks: “The Mother We Share,” “We Sink,” and “Recover” are standout moments that showcase the band’s knack for crafting memorable hooks and dynamic arrangements. Least Favourite Track: Honestly, I enjoyed the entire album—there were no real low points for me. Album Artwork: The cover is simple yet effective, echoing the clean, modern feel of the music within.
Man I loved this record when it came out. Looooooved it. Was still in the first half of my twenties, which is the absolute perfect stage of life to enjoy this album and ones like it. Made me feel like running, driving at night, crying on the phone, laughing with friends, etc etc; essentially this album, to me, is the sound of youth. Now that I’m aging and significantly more bitter, I can still detect all that when I listen, but it’s just not the same. Why is the sound so muddy, even in the remastered version? Aren’t the melodies and lyrics a little cliche? Don’t the songs kinda sound the same a lot of the time? Of course part of this could be because IMO they never reached beyond this record. The album after this is also quite good but it’s a lateral move, not progression. And what came after that isn’t really worth mentioning (except for that one song that features Robert Smith, which is cool). This album has a spark to it. It’s bright and attention getting and it can open your heart. The only problem is, it’s temporary and will burn out at some point.
First track a banger, but really started to mesh together. Wish there was more variety.
Die Synths sind mir dann doch etwas zu schrill und schmierig. Ganz schöne Stimme aber.
I don't like this. It's pretty boring, there isn't much going on musically, and I don't find the melodies that catchy. It's not offensively bad so I won't give it one star but it's definitely not something I ever need to listen to again.
Cool at the start. Smart electronic but then it spiraled into the same thing over and over.
Generally really catchy, but vocals began to grate a bit towards the end
Loved this album in 2013 and love it now.
6/10 not really a fan of this genre, but I guess it was well made it certainly takes talent to make music like this even if I don’t really appreciate it
I've only heard of this band through Death Stranding, and I liked this better than what I've heard there. It feels very much like pop music, except with a little more bite.
Cool sounding modern electro pop in places. But all very samey and vocals gets a bit bleh. Not very inventive 2*
Takes me back to being 18, drunk and dm-ing the lead singer on my friends instagram because he fancied her I thinkkkkk this is my first listen of this album????? I think i'd only previously heard their later stuff.
Say it with me, shock as local queer femme synthpop fan, etc etc. But yeah, I already have at *least* three of these tracks on my regular rotation, I've just never got round to properly listening to the album yet, and now I have, it's making me want to go play Sayonara Wild Hearts again (complimentary)
I have never understood what ‘minor key’ means, but the vocals on this album sound like what I imagine it to mean. I like it, but it needs dialling up a bit.
This one surprised me - in not usually one for waifish white woman singing, but the music has enough bite to keep me interested and generally the whole bone of this was immaculate. Gonna have to come back to this one, i liked it a lot more than I was expecting and may have to look more into Churches in the future
Meh.
If you're substituting a V for a U in your band name, you better damn well be playing black metal. Awful, danceable, pop garbage. Fuck this.
Not my jam but it was a decent listen.
I'd be happy enough to watch this band down the bill at a festival but it never really truly excites me. Lyrics and music are fine but the vocals are a little too twee in their delivery.
Wow, I really enjoyed this one. Very much the indie sound I would think of, but the mood of the whole piece is quite engaging. Very atmospheric, very enjoyable
Curioso que el primer álbum que me recomienda es de una banda que vi en directo como teloneros de Coldplay en Barcelona. Buen disco electro-pop con mucho sintetizador. Le doy un 7/10.
Ugh. Uninteresting, dull, and I could barely keep awake to listen to this.
Good synth pop
A serviceable Ladyhawke knockoff synth album. I wish the lead singer of Churches were a bit kinder and did not criticize men quite so much in her personal life. It is a bit of a disincentive to enjoy the band. I don't mind the spelling. I presume in today's search keyword culture it was probably chosen to make it easier to find the band on streaming services, etc. I thought the strongest of the tracks was "Science/Visions". There are bands and albums from the 2010s electronic, dance, and synth pop categories that I were more impactful and relevant for representing that time period. I would cut from this list Hot Chip, Churches, and Hookworms and replace them with albums from below. Gary Numan SAVAGE (2017) Ladyhawke WILD THINGS (2016) Walk the Moon TALKING IS HARD (2014) awolnation HERE COME THE RUNTS (2017) awolnation MEGALITHIC SYMPHONY (2010) The Glitch Mob LOVE DEATH IMMORTALITY (2014) The Glitch Mob SEE WITHOUT EYES (2018) Skrillex BANGRANG (2011) Van She IDEA OF HAPPINESS (2012) Daft Punk RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES (2013) Portugal. The Man WOODSTOCK (2017) Carly Rae Jepsen EMOTION (2015) Walk the Moon WHAT IF NOTHING (2017)
Considering I'm not a fan of most synth pop, this album was actually something that I enjoyed the experience of listening to. I'll likely never own it but I'd definitely be ok with hearing it again sometime.
LOVE LOVE LOVE
It was fine
Nije savršen debi ali baš je pun hitova
I'd happily put half of this album on a playlist and listen to it occasionally. Close enough to the music I like to be enjoyable once in a while.
Fun beat, just not my sound