Reviews (page 6 of 8)
It was fine. Nothing terribly interesting or terribly annoying.
Didn't really like the style and didn't like her voice.
3/5 good but not enough
Quite boring synth music. Doesn't really get me.
Okay to listen to but nothing really sticks
Doesn’t do it for me
Oh man "The Mother We Share" was such a college song for me and my friends. Listening now, 11 years post release and it's still a banger. The chorus is infectious, Lauren Mayberry's voice is so endearing and cute? and also soars above the synths under it. I melt a little bit when her Scottish accent cuts through like on the lyric "proud". The downside of the song is that it feels like compositionally it's just moving towards the chorus and whenever it's not the chorus, there's a gravitational pull that grabs everything and tugs it closer and closer to it. I don't really blame them, because that part is so good, but it feels like all of the non-chorus sections are super short, and they don't provide enough tension for me to crave a resolution. The rest of the album is definitely listenable and even enjoyable, but I can't help but feel a contrast between that song and the rest of the album. I kind of feel like the band knew this too as they put that song as track 1. I think part of my issue with the album is that there's not enough different sounds throughout. The synths are all pretty similar sounds/patches and when they change things up, it's usually to add space in the form of reverb, or to change a function like add an arpeggiator. I've had this idea in my head that I came across in a Pearl Jam interview years back where someone in the band said that after they record a song for an album, they tend to turn all of the knobs on the amps, change the amps, change the guitars, and move the mics around just as a reset. It makes it so that every song sounds different and has it's own sound, it's own sort of vibe. Since I heard that I tend to look for it in albums but it's a double edged sword because now I hear an album like this and I can't help but be a little let down that the songs are all TOO consistent and close. Which is unfortunate, because when writing with synths there is such a smorgasbord of instruments out there. Even by decade there are so many variations of the same instrument that have their own quirks and sounds and it's a super fun space to work with, but I don't hear it here. Here, I hear a "yea that synth worked well on tracks 1-6, let's load it up again for track 7". Regardless, it's a good album, but kind of middle of the road for this list (or more specifically, for my personal 1001 list).
A very hypnotic electonica with feminine vocals that provide a good musicbed for study and focused work.
This is a really cool sound - have heard the first track at least before without knowing who did it or where it came from. It's got great energy, her voice isn't the best ever but it's notable, but the thing that brings it down is that there's only one trick to it, so it gets quite samey. Keen to hear more of what they've done to see if the sound has evolved at all. 3/5 for this one, but a lot of potential.
It’s got good energy, the Mother We Share is such a great track and the album itself is electro pop goodness. The highs are highs but there are some lulls. Mayberry’s vocals are crisp and meld with the electronic tones well. It starts really strong and ends up feeling long and isn’t as consistent as I recall from when I fist listened. The good songs are very strong though and there’s enough strength in those tunes to make this a good album overall. 3.5 stars
Pleasant listen. Nothing really stood out, can’t remember any hooks. Kind of wallpaper music.
It went on a little too long, but it's good overall and there's some real bangers
Look, I listened to this album a TON when it came out, and it's no longer fun for me. That being said, it's not *bad* but it's got that quality where It Feels Like All The Lyrics Are Capitalized and that bugs me. Lungs was my favorite song at the time, but really enjoyed You Caught The Light this time around
Pretty
The airline food of music. It's perfectly fine and neatly packaged. The perfect accompaniment to gazing vacantly out of a little window as the distant world drifts by. But it doesn't stand up to a comparison with the real thing with your feet on the ground.
I was surprised by this one. I enjoyed listening to all the songs but none of them really jumped out as amazing or anything like that.
Stand out track for me: Recover
Familiar with this album and seen them live. That being said, I think I appreciate what they're doing more than I am enjoying it at times. I'll probably go back to get more of the electronic textures. Listened while driving around with Mia so I wasn't listening as close as usual. Still had a lot of tracks that just grabbed me, but also quite a few I couldn't really hone in on.
TMWS is an absolute banger - but in my opinion, is held down by the rest of the album. I can absolutely imagine the person this would appeal to, but it wasn't hitting for me. Shame, because again, I really love TMWS.
Hört sich an wie ein Synthpop Vorläufer von Taylor Swift. Hat zwar nicht weh getan das anzuhören, war aber auch nicht bereichernd. Komplett austauschbar. 2,7.
Interesting
Sort of boring, sorry :')
this album was alright. it had its moments, although i do think it was a bit samey to its detriment. pleasant enough indie synthpop, but not anything to write home about for me.
"Facebook brings you Your Year in Review 2013"-type music. I can't take this shit seriously, man. All I can imagine while listening to this is a slideshow of images of a middle-aged woman on the beach with animated transitions between pictures. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Actually a really fitting final album for the year. Weird to think about how 2024 will be my last year on this site - only 349 days until the finish line!
I like this but I don't think its particularly memorable. By The Throat is the best song here - it sounds like Let's Eat Grandma (though this came first)
ok. some nice dance tracks but nothing ground breaking for me.
This sounds like it would have been really popular in 2013, but has not aged well. These fake deeps lyrics and melodramatic synth sounds just don’t do it for me. It has its place and it isn’t awful. I think this singer sounds like a child. Also, it doesn’t even reach 50 minutes, but it still feels so long. 3/5
Very 80s, very tuneful, very emotional - it hits some of the right spots but not all of them. A solid effort though.
Música alegre y dinámica. Pop con toques de baile. Electrónica continua. Temas un tanto parecidos entre sí
so pop but it was eh
If someone played this and said it was Taylor Swift, I would have believed it. Granted I know very little of her music, but I think it’s similar type of synth pop right? Anyway it’s not my genre, but it wasn’t bad. I preferred the female lead songs to the couple with the dude.
one of these bands I've known of the past few years and definitely heard many times on the radio but never sought out. The first track had me thinking "oh this has some cool 80s vibes" which was immediately backed up in by the spotify bio. But the bio also calls out that mash up of a Depeche Mode/New Order sound with EDM-influenced sounds and it's that really poppy, EDM sound that put me off through much of the album. I'm definitely conflicted on this one. At one moment I'd be really enjoying and a couple minutes later I'd be thinking "why am I listening to this shit?"
Everyone knows the first one and that always creates an expectation for the rest of the album. Of which mine were exceeded with this dream-pop debut. The synth style mixed with a little new age phase beat is a nice mix. I like several songs and wouldn’t mind listening them again.
I was quite intrigued from the art, and I did quite like the first couple of songs, but then the subsequent songs all kinda sounded the same.
The Bones of What You Believe is the debut album by Scottish synth-pop band Chvrches. This indie pop/synth-pop album received critical acclaim for its songwriting and vocals. The album charted around the world, but it has only been certified gold in the UK. This was a good album of great songs that have a mix of pop and electronica. There's not much to dislike about this album, and you'll find new things to love on multiple listens. Now I need to listen to more CHVRCHES albums.
Overall inoffensive listen, but I just don't think this style is for me. Vocals and synths sounded nice. 5.9/10 Fav song - Lungs, (The Mother We Share was a close second)
Have not heard of this band so I was really excited to dive in! I ended liking it but it didnt really have a standout tracks for me. Will check out their discog tho!
The Mother We Share may be my favorite Chvrches song, and the band is always of quality, but a lot of the album tracks here are a bit more throwaway (not Science/Visions though). It's good, but I prefer Every Open Eye. 7/10
great album lots of party bangers
Not my style but it had some good songs.
Strong Pop with a tech feel. Haven't heard of them before.
Pop
Big up Scotland
Lose a point for their spelling mistake.
Solid modern album
Wat een stel gladjakkers, die typo-churches! Maar echt slecht was het ook zeker niet.
Boven verwachting ok dit plaatje. Lekker poppy, lekker glad, maar heel catchy.
Die stem van die dame lijkt op die van een andere dame. Taylor swift misschien? Enfin, best ok, maar ook nogal bubble gum.
A boisterous 80s inspired synth album but despite the intensity of lyrics it feels like it carries very little weight and flakes away once you’ve listened to it.
Me gusta este disco. Las influencias ochenteras se dejan sentir. Me sorprendió que la canción que más me gusta no fuese un single. Night Sky.
Blije zuurstoktechno, je moet ervoor in de stemming zijn. Ben ik niet altijd.
Een plaat met een knipoog naar de jaren '80 en '90. Al zijn de klanken wat voller. Het is niet bijster goed gezongen, maar daar lijkt het niet zo om te draaien. Het is gewoon wat catchy muziek voor op de achtergrond. Prima om bij te werken.
Nice. Not too bad. Listenable pop
Not bad. Not my bag either, but didn't hate it.
This is very 2013. I probably would have enjoyed listening to this on the radio at the time.
I'm not sure why I was surprised this had vocals, but I liked it!
Synth pop with lots of hooks. It's superior pop, but instantly forgettable. This means nothing to me.
5/10. Felt a bit like I was drowning in an endless sea of synthesizers. But, I liked the dreamy sounding lyrics.
Aunque he escuchado a CHVURCHES ocasionalmente nunca me he parado a oír un disco completo. No está mal, me ha gustado "Recover", "The mother we share", "Night Sky" y "Lungs". Creo que está bien como regreso del sonido pop de sintetizadores de los 80. Interesante.
I loved this album in in it's day. It holds up but isn't one I'd have on high rotation
This isn't my thing, but I didn't hate it. Upbeat, good mood music, but kind of too much to listen to all at once.
Enjoyed this one.
Definitely a lot of fun. It evokes a familiar feeling from the early twenty teens, when I still listened to Alt-Nation on satellite radio. If bands like Beach House are considered dream-pop, this feels more awake. I don’t love it, but it is absolutely danceable and there are a few songs that I love.
Fun music but not special. Music and her voice sounds bit like Cardigans singer, but prefer Cardigans any time.
Okay
I like all the synthesis sounds going on in the background and I can objectively say they are a "good" band making synth-pop that isn't super boring. However it's a bit too "bubble-gum pop" for my sensibilities. Definitely have seen videos of them in the studio on synths and I can respect that though.
Love The Mother We Share and a couple of other songs.
Good. Scottish Synth-pop.
Delightful.
It's not a bad album, but I've listened three times and can't really get into it. Nice pop synth, but I find myself not really listening to each song.
B- The Mother We Share 4 We Sink 3 Gun 2 Tether 3 Lies 4 Under the Tide 2 Recover 3 Night Sky 2 Science/Visions 4 Lungs 2 By the Throat 4 You Caught the Light 3 This was pretty good, if not unflattering/annoying at points. Overall, it was a good bit of fun and unique from the vast majority of Jenny, so I kind of liked it.
Probably one of the most influential albums of the past decade. Electropop was big at the time, and this album started incorporating heavy atmospheric 80s synths you'd hear in scifi movies. With the ease of creating these effects at your laptop, I can hear the influence of the synths and vocals in pretty much every indie pop band to come. Of course, 95% of those guys are uninnovative commercial trash some lame batista may put on in their cafe part of their "carefully designed" playlists. But this is that kind of music done right. I'm actually not a big fan of the vocals. There are two types of singing I hear both vocalists singing. The slower, deeper style is very drone-like that's been prominent in lots of pop music in the past 10 years, and I hear it in pop-adjacent genres like emo rap. The other is a preppy, fast singing that's bright and cheerful and has been around since the early 2000s, which makes the songs energetic and dancey. I think they work ok and match the synth styles well, but I get sick of it pretty quickly. This record isn't immune to weak tracks like "Under the Tide" or "By the Throat", but I think all their synth ideas work pretty well. There's a lot of repetition here, with most songs have the same synth lines for three quarters of the songs. And with how loud and bright they are, it gets exhausting. But it's not bad, just tiring. This even affects the hits. But it makes the moments when it deters from this a lot cooler.
BEST SONGS: -Science/Visions -You Caught the Light
-this band seems familiar -which would make sense because its a newer album -this song is cool so far -i am actually really enjoying this music -although it sounds a bit like tv/movie montage music -these songs are very bright and fun -idk if this is necessarily my thing tho -but i am enjoying this listen! so 3 stars
Well made, but not my cup of tea. 3/5
Not really my style but I liked a few songs. Overall not bad.
It's fun and I really like the first two songs but I don't think I'd listen to the whole album again.
Synth Pop. Never heard this before. The band name is familiar but didn't know any of the songs going in. Overall, I was very favorable. I think with more listens it will only get better. Standout: The Mother We Share. Singles: ---------------------------------------- The Mother We Share (US ALT #12, UK #38) Recover (#91 UK) Gun (#55 UK) Lies (#105 UK) We Sink Under the Tide Tether Pretty good. 3/5
surprisingly good. liked a couple songs and added them to playlists. synths got a little repetitive but still I did not expect to like this as much as I did
First time hearing Chvrches so I wasn't sure what to expect and it turned out better than I expected. Played nicely in the background, nothing really stands out for me, but at the same time there was nothing I didn't dislike. Not a fan of synth-pop, so I probably won't listen to more, but I could do a whole lot worse.
I'd like to give this one another listen, I think it has some potential.
Nice background music. Was never disappointed in what I was hearing but not sure I’ll be quick to re-listen.
Quite catchy synthpop/electronica album with very clean production (that reminds me of some 80s albums). My issue is with synth pop that I find few songs listenable, but a whole album with 12 songs is too much and the songs really drag by the end. Overall it's OK but it's not an album that I would relisten again soon.
really disappointed not to like this more. Big fan of postal service and deathcab for cutie which has a similar sound, but maybe CHVRCHES is just a little too upbeat and poppish?
Melodic, nice, jazz club.
I didn't dislike this, I'd even say I enjoyed it, but found its while vibe pretty odd.
De les millors bandes de synth pop de quarta generació. Cap dels seus 4 discos (juliol 2023) és sòlid de començament a final, però sempre hi ha temes que enganxen, especialment en aquest primer i al tercer 'Love Is Dead'. Aquí, cançons com 'The Mother We Share', 'We Sink' o 'Recover' fan la feina
Do people still go to Chvrch?
interesting i guess? but doesn't really need to be on this list...
Not really my thing but it was pleasant enough.
Good Music for a late night drive
3.75, liked it more than I expected.
This band has grown on me
I’m not a massive CHVRCHES fan, obviously recognise the hits and listening back to this album it is very good album, and probably deserves its place on this list.
C'est pas pire mais c'est loin d'êtr est style. 3
Ah well throw back! Hadn't heard this for a long long time and honestly had forgotten about it. I'm a bit confused as I'm not hugely convinced this is a good music, like for me I felt there could be more variation in the synths used and it does some more simplistic towards the end. However, I did really enjoy lots of these songs! Fun silly pop. Boosted my mood so that says something right
As far as synth pop goes, not bad. Not in a rush to listen to it again or anything.
Dette var kjedelig - to eller tre stjerner?
Top 3 Songs: 1 - Gun (3) 2 - The Mother We Share (1) 3 - Science/Visions (9)
I kept thinking I was gonna go back and listen to this cuz my first listen through I kinda tuned out but I enjoyed it. I’m too far behind to go back though so fuck it. I agree with Bryce that it’s like 2014 American eagle core music but I guess it’s like the songs where you like “you know this one isn’t bad”
Very "MGMT" like album. Nice production value and chill beats.
helt ok pop!
This is a good album. I am not sure the synth-pop movement needed revision (as the initial movement was both plentiful and held up fairly well for what it was). Lies is a very strong track, but I think the album overall wanders a bit.
Another album that’s fine, but don’t know why it should be on this list. Reminds me a little bit of Blondie with more synthesizers
Good electronic/pop type stuff, enjoyed more than I thought I would
was loosely familiar with the band prior to listening; a very well crafted piece of indie/electronic pop, the vocals probably stand out the most here.
It's fine. Good opening track, but I kind of tuned out for the rest.
This was some more recent pop music. Nothing either overly exciting or brutal. Of interest os that I preferred the music the algorithm provided following the album.
Haunting later day synth pop. The only Chvrches I listened to previously never grabbed me but this album has made me want to listen to more of them. Still not sure if there is anything exceptional about this album but I did enjoy it
Me fait beaucoup penser à Metric, entre autres à cause de la voix de la chanteuse, qui me plaît beaucoup, et aussi à cause des arrangements électroniques rythmés, colorés. J'aurais donné 3,5, car il manque un je ne sais quoi pour se rendre à 4 (peut-être parce que j'ai trop l'impression de l'avoir entendu avant). Et la chanson Under the Tide me rappelle Coldplay.
Well produced indie pop/synth pop with engaging vocals. Drags on a bit though which makes 3 stars more than sufficient.
Enjoyable and somewhat catchy sounding electro pop album that ultimately though is too similar and monotonous to score more than 3 stars
I haven't listened to a lot of synth-pop in my music life, so I'm glad this project served up this album. The tracks are very well done and they usually grab my ear and hook me in nicely. After a while, that amount of synthesizer is too much for my ear, but I don't usually listen to one artist straight through; when I listen for my own enjoyment, it's typically more by style than by individual artist or album. I see how these songs worked into a mix would be a nice addition.
I give this 3.5 stars
Better than I expected
One has liked some of the later work (especially the song with Robert Smith from a year or two ago) but this is entirely too teeny boppy and way too '80s-synthy for one's taste. Best song is last song, "You Caught the Light," which is more along the lines of what one was expecting/hoping for. As to their chart success, good for them and better this than, say, Ed Sheeran or Billie Eilish.
Well, not my cup of tea really, but undeniably catchy. There were enough interesting things going on that I gave it a second spin even.
686/1001 2026.08.24 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
i remember listening to this when it came out. carried by first track quite a bit
577/1089 - I like that one of the guys is a shmup fan. The music is unfortunately subpar and not very memorable.
A few cool bits but quickly became annoying.
Oef.
Сінт-поп! Сподіваюсь буде цікаво) На жаль, цікавого мало(
Fun energy, decent, inoffensive, but loses any unique flavor by the end. Not the worst thing I've ever heard though.
Tästä ei kyllä jäänyt mitään mieleen. Meni taustamusana.
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
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.
This did nothing for me, just bland synth music, does nothing exciting
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”.
It was ok
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 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.
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.
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.
didnt really feel much listening to this
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.
I did not get the hype with CHURCVES when they dropped. And I still don’t get it.
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 ♥️
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
quasi 3, ma non posso dare proprio 3
Pretty basic synth pop
I tried but I just can't with these guys sadly.
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.
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
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,
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
not my cup of tea
Mediocre. Obviously people love it or they have an aggressive marketing team. Not must listen.
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
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.
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!
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
not really my thing
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.
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
OK.
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.
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.
Synth Pop. Not bad, nothing special either.
umm why are they on the list?
I can see the popularity, and I see the use and market for it, but it’s just not my thing. Decent standard synth pop is not something I gravitate towards right now.
Definitely something I feel like Beca from Pitch Perfect would love to blast through her quirky headphones. Unfortunately she and I do not share the same tastes.
Synth pop
House electronica and indie rock mix Favourite track: Tether
It was ok.
A band I would read about and think I would like. And then don’t
The banality of 2010s Chainsmokers pop
This is a layer cake of synth with surprisingly sad/dark lyrics for pop. But ultimately, this is the fun dip of music, pure crystal sugar, no substance, and more than a little one note.
I previously heard Chrches on their follow-up Screen Violence. Honestly I have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy this. The vocals and instrumentation gives it a dreamy vibe but if I'm half asleep as it is it just makes me want to for a nap.
This was just not good. My hearing just isn’t tuned to millennial music. The production; no depth, no dynamics, and wouldn’t know a natural high-fidelity sound if it came around, bought the drinks, turned on its natural charm and then …. Maybe on follow up albums they Could you know, even compress it a little bit more??? Bland repetitive pop of the most formulaic nature possible. No generation likes the pop music of the generations that follow, and tend to think it’s shit, that’s because this is shit. Likely appeals to its target audience but Complete waste of however long that was for me to listen. 2 Star.
It was engaging and didn’t sound terrible but I won’t listen to this again.
I don’t really care for synth pop in general. This is pretty average for the genre. Seems like it’s from the 80’s. Lame
This did not get me at all. Throw back synth-pop with seemingly nothing new to say. Not badly written/produced, just pointless.
Synthpop was so cool in the late 70s and early 80s. As this genre was so experimental and groundbreaking. Today synthpop is not so cool. You would think after 40-50 years with the advancement of technology that this genre would be unreal. But instead you just have these modern pop bands that have a simple computer device to re-create old synth sounds. I wanted so much for this to be good, but instead it just came off as recycled, as most modern music.
Pre-Listening Notes This album came out when I was in college, and while I was still very enthused about music for the time, CHVRCHES is a band I only read about and nothing more. Didn't know anyone that listened to them or brought them up at all compared to MGMT or Passion Pit. As a late stage millennial, I suppose it's my turn to hear them. Post-Listening Notes OOoff. No. This was a miss for me. Let's go with the classic psychological method of reasonable criticism, the positive-negative-positive. Kids pay attention, this is something incredibly important you should learn that schools will never teach you, as soon as you let Gemini or ChatGPT/whatever summarize this review to understand it. Alright, here we go with the positives. The synths and the production quality of the album are great for the most part. It's quite emblematic of that millennial electronic indie pop era. Shoutout to the DSI Tempest for being the most 2010's sounding stereotypical synth sound behind Massive. They love the Tempest, and it's a fun synth that isn't the easiest to control or use. Lauren is a good singer with an interesting high pitch voice that doesn't squeek. The band clearly has the chops to do anything! The negatives. Well it's quite emblematic of that electronic indie pop era. I can't stand that shit. It's so on the nose and stereotypical of "what would millennials and older Gen Z kids listen to in high school" for the early to mid 2010s music. Sort of like OneRepublic or One Direction for the music that was at their heights when I was in high school. Unlike those aforementioned bands, CHVRCHES clearly has the musical chops to go in some creative direction like shoegaze or happy hardcore or even post punk, and they instead make music that sounds like everybody else of their time and fail to innovate in any musical way. They're so fucking early 2010s that they even do a fucking drop in one of the songs, it's that bad. The Bones Of What You Believe is just way too poppy over the cool electronic/synth beats and drum machines. My ears aren't good at hearing vocals for the first time in songs even with some high end set-ups with good acoustics, so I can't say too much about the songwriting and what the songs are about for pop music. But when I mean it's too poppy for its own good and it's too stereotypical to go well for me, I think of Lady Gaga's early music. I don't care for pop but she made it all work into some great records that age well, and she's even more millennial than this band! There's music talent in CHVRCHES for sure. This is very much a band that checks off the criticslop factory for me. The universal praise from critics because they have to shut off their own personal biases and assume everyone still wants to listen to pop records because it's the default genre and picking the bands with the best inoffensive songwriting and talent, while ignoring the finished product. The synth hooks and Lauren could convince you that they can do something anything different or more creative and be just as good. It feels like it's a waste of something that can translate better with a different presentation. No this band didn't win a grammy despite me calling it criticslop or critic bait, but let's not pretend those are valuable. And we circle back to the positive-negative-positive. We cheer up the target I mean client and/or person to psychologically reaffirm ourselves that an optimistic outlook really helps us all out as a human species. Dick Van Dyke said that's the one reason he's lived to be 169 years old as of time of writing this review. Anyways, I thought Lies and Science/Vision were pretty good on their own. Guns almost had it, but that's okay because the band tried. CHVRCHES are certainly popular enough for the talented musicians in the band to make a living doing something they love. Even if that means playing the most stereotypical millennial/old gen z bullshit alive I----sorry. Even if that means playing the music they do which is absolutely not meant for me or possible future listeners, they won the musician lottery of actually doing what you love for a living and getting paid enough not to barely make ends meet. I'm gonna stop talking and unclench my teeth of which that refrains any further negative comment. Peace
It's been done before and better by other artists
This was ok, but I probably won't listen to it again or seek out other albums by this band
2013-me probably would've like this album/band. Current me just cannot get into it despite being a fan of synth music. The music sounds very dated, like you can tell that it came out in 2013. Some of the melodic choices in some songs also just clash together and take you out of the song, like it feels like some tracks weren't polished or just should've been scrapped altogether. Disliked the female singer's voice quite a lot, she sounds like a child singing and I just found that really unappealing on a primal level. Didn't like the male singer either, I don't think their voices match well. Also the lyrics are so juvenile and simplistic in a way I didn't enjoy at all.
This album is a bit of a disappointment. I quite like the high energy, positive beats of The Mother We Share but this is as coherent as the album sounds. A few reasonable tracks but a lot of it just seems directionless and noisy. Misfiring.
At times its like listening to a slightly techno baby babble (like when you get cracking on the first song). I just dont find it particularly genuine as the vocals tend to be overly glossy and barby like. You then get synth popping in the background which is just a simplistic formula which does little to elevate this. I notice some interesting lyrics but any darkness or feeling is entirely absent as far as I can tell. I really dont understand the appeal of this form of pop. I can just about tollerate this so will be kind.
I get it, I may really be into dream pop. But this is more like a teenage girl lip-syncing to her hairbrush along with her MySpace 2013 Hot100 playlist. Very nice, but not my thing. Need some nerve-shredding Youth Code to dissipate my annoyance.
This one wasn't really my style. I have a hard time getting into the ethereal stuff. Made for decent background music driving around town and a couple tracks got a head bob from me with a dancy beat, but overall I didn't find it super interesting.
Hm. Don't like that.
Fell asleep. Admittedly I was a bit tired but this is pretty monotonous
Meh
Forgettable
I've thus far refrained from criticising the demi gods that selected the 1001. But how the fudge can this be deemed 'important' let alone 'influential' (granted, it does meet the criterion of 'in popular music'). I get that it may have been inspired by important or influential albums from the 90s. But to my ears it's just generic, occasionally enjoyable, pop. Maybe it's just the offensive spelling that's got my goat - it's not as if the album text was chiseled by hand. A spiteful 2*.
Never really got me hooked in any way. Its decent music but it doesn't stand out among the other albums for me
p937. 2013. 2 stars. Deacon Blue for the millennium. Jaunty Scottish synth pop, well done of its kind, but no standout tracks and nothing to set it apart from the rest of the pack. The rule still applies: if people aren't talking about it 5 years after it was released, it isn't essential listening.
I find too many people form opinions, and then never revisit them. There is no downside. Approached with an open mind, periodic checks on things you assume are "so", either provides space to update your opinion, or to verify that the original was, and continues, to be correct. In this case, I didn't love synth pop the first time around, and this renewal doesn't grab me either.
Enjoyed some songs, most were forgettable Standout songs: We SInk Lies Science/Visions
I remember liking a few tracks on this and then it being a bit too poppy or similar for me. Same thing again I guess.
This album did not age well.
Yeah, I just knew I wasn't interested in this shit and 30 seconds in my instincts were correct. Any band that that uses a V instead of a U can just get fucked. Whoever is singing, her voice has no presence...it's light, airy and just not great. The synths suck, this sounds like video game music, but at least video games are fun. Oh, she's dropping f-bombs. So edgy. This is music for Tumblr kids at festivals from the early 2010s.
I was a tween in the 10s and I hated this kind of music so I cannot give this a good review it reminds me of puberty in the worst way.
ehh.. säkert någon som tycker det är bra..
Listenable
(57/100)
I'm pretty much just a no for the whole idea of synth-pop.
A little confused as to how/why the mother we share became the hit that it was.
Unremarkable synth pop with unexciting lyrics and bland vocals. No idea why it merits a place on a 1001 all time albums list!
Thoughts before listening: I believe this is some sort of poppy indie rock type of a thing. I remember when they were making all the best album lists in the 00s, but I never really paid much attention. I'm sure this will be fine. Review: So this is 80s throwback new wavy pop I guess. This is perfectly fine, non-offensive music, but also just not really for me. I'm pretty bored actually. I'll give this 2-stars.
Te electonisch voor mij, niet mijn ding
You had (pronounced, L-O-S-T) me at Scottish synth-pop
not my thing
I've seen the name CHVRCHES around for awhile now, and may have even tried listening in the past. I keep seeing RATM's album cover for Renegades when I glance at the album cover based on the colors. A few songs in and it's more pop leaning to me. Not bad but not a band I'm usually gonna go out of my way to listen to. Way too much interesting synth-pop in the world to listen to this. The vocals are also kinda annoying to me and uninspired. Reminds me a ton of some of those generic vocals on some EDM songs. I do like some sounds in By The Throat. I was a bit disappointed with this. Was hoping to like it and while I liked some moments, it really fell short for me.
I love that this list includes such a synthy, dreamy, hyper pop bubblegummy record. I absolutely adore some of the tunes (like The Mother We Share and Gun), but I find the whole album to be a thin wash of energy without much musical depth. While some of the singles are generational classics, the remainder fades into the background. I wish they had selected an Alvvays record if they were looking for a synthy pop band with a cool spelling to their name. 4/10
The band reminded me of a poor man’s Arcade Fire. The music was fine , the songs all tend to blend together but I think that’s the intent.
I don't mind this, but I have no need for it either. As a general direction for popular music permeating the airwaves I actually did mind it very much, and abhor the race to the algorithm-friendly bottom. But that's not their fault, I suppose.
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Well executed synth pop music. Bland as hell.
Hur NÅGON ens typ 2016 kände att det här var ett album man absolut MÅSTE höra undgår mig helt. Än mindre idag! Jisses vad hela den här indietronica genren har åldrats dåligt. Gillade ändå det här albumet back in the day (eventuellt lite FIFA-skadad) men nej låt mig slippa mer sånt här tack. Hade kunnat va en trea om typ Robyn var på vocals istället men fasiken vad hon saknar kraft och range i rösten. Svag tvåa
Jag mindes detta som ett bra album. Tänk vad ens musiksmak kan ändras på ett drygt decennium.
Haha alltså att denna rackare letat sig in här... Gillade detta när det begav sig och det har ju NÅT men det är verkligen inte nog för att ta en plats på den här listan. Småsnitsig och snygg electropop men vad mer? Vad bidrog detta med? Men blev trots allt glad när The Mother We Share öppnar plattan. Stabil tvåa. Hoppas innerligt att detta försvunnit/försvinner från senare upplagor av boken för mr Dimerys värdighets skull.
Som italodisco-vän är det här bitvis toppen, men stör ibland ihjäl mig på indie-fraseringen och indie-uttalet. Brasklapp att det kanske snarare är skotskan som ger det intrycket och inte den vidriga ”låta-som-islänning”-sjukan. De återanvänder samma drop-trick en gång för mycket möjligen men när det är bra är det bra. Fina Ken Laszlo-aktiga syntljud emellanåt. Stark 2a eller svag 3a.
Neeee gillar inte sången, synthen är väl ok... men finns noll substans här
detta är för poppigt för mig, jag vill ha min syntpop MÖRK och DEPRIMERANDE
Klassisk ebismusik! Mediokert.
I think that if I asked the maker of the OG list why they included this album, they wouldn't know. That's how bland and shrug-city this album is.
Did not enjoy very much- just not my fave style.
The first track was good, so much so that I was expecting to really enjoy the album. It fell flat after that though, nothing unlistenable, but very morose and repetitive aside from 1 or 2 tracks. One good track does not make an album good, in my ratings at least.
meh
I knew the track "We Swim" quite well due to it being on one of the FIFA games back in the day (13 or 14, can't remember which). The rest of this album was new to me, though it felt like something I'd already heard hundreds of times before as it gives off TV advert vibes. A vaguely catchy in patches, but chiefly uninteresting retro-futurist synth pop album, it's sorely lacking in humanity - the whole thing just sounds so manufactured, whilst the lyrics largely comprise that "I'm not like the other girls!!" slop which I've no time for.
zzz zika za pozadinu u slastičarnici... zakaj je ovo na popisu?
Not good
This does no-oh no-oh no-thing for me.
I had no idea this group was so poppy, and I think that’s my main problem with this album: Despite song titles like “Gun,” “Lies,” and "Broken Bones," it’s saccharine and artificial-feeling, a mix of bombastic, icy synth effects backing a vocalist who sounds like she should be fronting a Top 40 act. I like my synth pop with more darkness, danceability, or at least melody. Not my thing.
I will paste my review of Beach House verbatim : This was perfectly pleasing while I was listening to it, but a few hours later I couldn't remember one lyric, riff or hook. Then I listened to it the next day and had the same experience.
Electro-Pop, 2013 -> 2
Interesting sound, but it gets old pretty fast and the positive mood doesn't convince me. Too plastic fake for this list.
There was a period in the late aughts / early tens where millennial hipsters decided they had EDM fomo despite being too cool for it. To my ear, this is very much riding the end of that wave. Although I enjoyed the first half or so, I wasn't blown away, and nothing really stuck. Moreover, it really started dragging after that point. In cases like these, I try figure out if the album makes up for lack of raw enjoyability with novelty. Although I am admittedly out of my element, I don't really understand what this adds to the conversation that hadn't already been by Animal collective, MGMT, M83, etc... Not to mention earlier waves of electronic synth-pop that influenced those bands. Strong 2
It's like every annoying pop cliché done with a generic synthpop aesthetic. At the midpoint and I'm thinking, it's gonna get worst isn't ? Recover probably has the strongest chorus, it's not a great song or anything, but it felt like the strongest payoff There are way worse pop album out there, it takes talent and creativity to write a pop song that works even if it's not like amazing, and this does it's job, I want to punch them in the face, but I get why someone would like this, it's ok I suppose. I skipped by the throat, those backing vocals were just too much at this point Final track and I thought this was fucking Chris Martin on this, this makes sense because this sounds like a bad coldplay album, which is mostly all of them
So painfully 2013…
Forgetable electropop that won't stay in the history of music at all. Why am I listening to this here?
Fine cute pop, but didn’t really make me feel anything.
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.
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.
Favorite track(s): no standouts, perfectly inoffensive, could've listen to Lorde or Charli instead
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.
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
Nic specjalnego. 2
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.
Nothing special.
Every song sounded the same to me
Has some promise but feels more like music for 6music to appreciate rather than truly enjoy
Why? Uninspired Robyn. This has no business being on this list. Synth pop that will be forgotten in time.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
The Mother We Share Gun Lies Recover
Too pop for my taste
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
Dette høres ut som en fordums tid. Jeg liker soundet og blir nostalgisk, men det er ikke nok til å løfte de middelmådige låtene.
2.5
Really don't like this type of synth pop production. 2 stars
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
Would listen to this again in an H&M and nowhere else
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
Random
oh no... 2
Not really my cup of tea but I appreciate them after seeing them live
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
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.
Really just not my style and they gave me a weird Christian vibe. I could see how people may like it though.
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.
It's OK but veeeeery generic. No song stands out apart from the last track. 2.5/5 rounded down to 2/5
Dad- 6 Mom- 4 Mike- NA Lori- 3 Michael- 3.5 Miles- NA Cole- 4.5 Avg- 4.2
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
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.
The more I listened to this the less I liked it.
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.
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”.
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
Ok
Not really listened to chvrches before. Ok, but plenty better to go above it on the spin list.
Nietszeggende, overgeproduceerde synthpop. Zet dan Hot Chip in de lijst.
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.
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 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.