Reviews (page 6 of 7)
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.
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.
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.
Ugh. Uninteresting, dull, and I could barely keep awake to listen to this.
It was fine
This sounds like 7 year old Taylor Swift
Indie synth.
I miss the synthy indie pop from 2013.. but like jvst the hits
i don’t remember what it sounds like mom
Respectfully, I don't know what the point of this is Fav song: The Mother We Share
Acceptable pop
This was a decent pop album. It feels like it fits squarely within that late 2000s/early 2010s period where it seemed like almost every female vocalist was pushing in a high-register, ethereal direction. The instrumentation seemed focused on creating a vibe, rather than any sort of discernible melody. It's a fine thing to experience every now and then, but for me to genuinely enjoy the album, it needs to be a little more grounded. Favorite tracks: Gun, Night Sky, Science/Visions
It's modern pop, I suppose it must be quite well liked or it wouldn't be here. Yeah, they can play their instruments, but as far as I'm concerned this is as good a recommendation for a return to vinyl as any, in that an album is limited to 40-45 mins and usually upto 9 tracks. This would definitely have benefited from that. Her voice was to high and yowly for me.
Synthpop at its most mediocre. It was almost all done at the same tempo, that it could have been knew long song. That said, i didnt mind it in places. The last song, sung by the bloke was by far the best.
as i opened the album I was greeted by me having liked the first song which I have no recollection of.... Every song is just a bit too similar to one another, did enjoy a few but I think it's a bit too long for what it is. 2.5/5
I found it a fair album with one major standout, Mother We Share. An odd album to include really. I like the synth sound and loops. But it does lack more killer tracks.
Just not for me
Think the album was alright scratches a certain itch but i didnt do for me but it might do it for others i say this album deserves a listen even tho im giving it a 2 its prolly a light 3 to me the last 3 tracks were really good n some of the middle tracks but not really a album i’ll be coming back to
I understand the appeal. It doesn't appeal to me
Urgh. Just grating pop vocals with a cringe fake American twang. Basic pop songs without much deviation or surprises. Fairly upbeat and might be okay to have a dance to, but musically, just doesn’t do much for me. First album I abandoned half way as I got the gist. Yawn. Now to go and listen to clown core and knower to heal myself. 2.5
Tout était aligné pour que je déteste. Au final, j'ai juste pas aimé, ce qui est déjà pas mal.
I’m feeling way to cynical for this.
Listened Before? N I was only familiar with "The Mother We Share" before listening to this album. That particular song is a maddening earworm. Nothing wrong with that, but I was over it a long time ago. The rest of the record feels like New Order if they were upbeat... lots of busy, bright beats. Too many, in fact. It got really old, really quickly. I see why many would like this record, but being a child of the 80s, it missed the mark with me. Too many better things to listen to. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Science/Visions
I may just be too old, but this album just did not appeal to me at all. 2 stars or D+.
Very ordinary. Ended up quite irritated.
For being synthepop, this was surprisingly ok. The genre is not usually my thing, but once you accept it for what it is and take it in, it’s not bad. I don’t think it’s something I would go back to over and over, but it was fine while it was on.
stadium electro-pop
So generic for both genres
Maso
The only possible reason this album is on this list is because a member of the band is either family or friend of the author.
Not that bad, ok pop music but not really my thing
I appreciate the synth music, but find the lead vocals grating.
bofbof
Don't enjoy the vocals at all so gave up on this one. It reminds of Dancing On My Own, one of my least favourite songs ever.
I really just did not care. Maybe it's an unfair prejudice, but it is a pet peeve of mine when an artist or band insists on having their name either in all caps, includes pronounced punctuation, intentionally misspelled words, uses symbols in place of letters, or uses some letters in place of other letters. Here, you have two of those offenses in one band. Maybe I'm just an old man yelling at clouds here, but it just feels like a gimmick and gimmicks don't make good music. Not on their own, anyway. But, ok. I don't like the band name. How about the music? Forgettable. Both of their voices are so generic and bland. They don't really do anything with them that's memorable. The music itself is ok. A very indie sound, that feels very of the moment it was released. A lot of this reminded me of The Chainsmokers, and that isn't necessarily a compliment coming from me. I dunno. I feel like I was supposed to love this. But I found it be pretty bland and forgettable. And that's a shame because I think they're better than that based on what I hear. But I'm left unimpressed and unmoved. Two stars. Standout Tracks: Gun
Walter Mitty (the actual one, not the Hollywood Walter) puts on a beige suit and drives his Corolla to the Olive Garden whilst listening to CHVRCHeS on AM radio.
Did not feel this. At all. It felt soul-less, empty and actually annoying too because it was so boring. Every song sounded the same, had the same topic, the same vibe, etc. It does not get more mono(tone) than that. An unpleasant experience and dreadfully long as well. And no, I would not even party / dance to this. I would leave the party if this came on. There is no excitement that this record could evoke. There are no rough edges to this record. This record gives (me) nothing. (However, I had already worse on this list (looking at you Morrissey and Pere Ubu).)
Better than Coldplay
It all sounds like an outro song to a disney girlie movie. It has that Swift style in it that I dislike so much
Undistinguished. Very catnippy but nowhere near enough to sustain repeated listens.
This quite okay. I do get a little tired of it after a while. I remember the song The Mother We Share from back when it was played on the radio. I don’t really agree that this is something so important that it needs to be on this list, though
It is not awful. It isn't something I'd choose to listen to either. All rather vacuous. It's probably OK if you like this sort of thing. 2/5.
This one was tough to rate. While I recognize its importance as a precursor to the synth-pop and EDM wave I’ve become familiar with, it now sounds so close to the current landscape that it doesn’t stand out. Tracks like Under the Tide sound like something straight from an Illenium set. Well-produced and polished, but lacking that wow factor or freshness in 2025.
The thought that kept entering my head wa "this is music that Taylor Swift fans listen to in their leater teens". That's not meant as a negative. It's just not for me.
Very familiar but I’m having trouble pinning the genre. Not unlike the single bulletproof by La Roux maybe?
Doesn’t have very much depth. I was expecting to enjoy this more than I did
Drum machines that remind me of the 80’s but not enough energy in most of these tunes to drum up any excitement. Synth music lacking in any soul. The female vocalist songs in particular bother my ears. I suppose if I was at a rave and this was blasting really loud and I was under the influence, maybe this would feel fun? But I’m way too old to ever find out, and good music shouldn’t require large crowds and substances to be enjoyable. A rare album where the more times I listened to it the less I enjoyed it.
Utterly unremarkable waste of an album slot.
Generic pop through the ages is still generic pop. Churches adds nothing beyond current indie pop that doesn't move the needle for the genre in any specific direction. 2/5
Had never listened to this band before, but had seen their name. Not really my jam, and if it were on the radio, I'd likely change stations.
2.5 -decent synth pop
Overlong, formulaic indie synth pop, typically overproduced to squeeze any hint of organic feeling. The music has the typical modern approach 'anthemic' feel (I blame Coldplay) while the lyrics lack wit, charm or storytelling. Yup, this definitely meets 1001 albums strict criteria on how to get selected.
Just bland pop really.
Somewhat soulless and bland but inoffensive I suppose, though that's hardly a recommendation. Not really sure why this made the list, was this really the best that the mid 2010s could offer?
Fairly inoffensive pop. But I really had to force myself to keep going with it when I'm tired. Not good music to be forced to listen to.
CHVRN RATΞ
Eh, GTA V credits music I saw these guys live at a festival and don't remember shit except for Liam putting James Marsden on his shoulder and him trying to kiss him. I'll let you decide who tried to kiss who 😉
Another album I wanted to like but did not. Chvrches' electronic sound was poppy and sugar-y. I like lots of synth-pop and predecessors of Chvrches. I even like a bunch of their influences! The vibes throughout the album are great; I love a good album title, too. But I think the poor vocals impacted me too much to enjoy this album. Alas, poor Chvrches.
So achingly 2013 - all that’s missing was some Bastille playing alongside it. Not for me, even with the Scottish accents slipping through, and it’s not by fault of the musicians. They’re competent and the music is well-made, but I just couldn’t personally latch onto any of it.
Past me would have loved this album had I heard it back in 2013, it's very millenial hipster coded. Could use a shorter runtime or more variety to keep things a bit more interesting though; I don't see myself listening to this again besides the nostalgia-factor.
Jag blir inte särskilt berörd av detta, det är inte direkt dåligt men för mig ganska tråkigt. 2 av 5
This is what soulless music sounds like. It sounds like an AI wrote and played these songs and I don't understand how it's on the list. It's listenable which is why it isn't a 1 but it should not be on this list.
Mid
Solid but boring album to me. It has it Moments but it stays always on the surface.
Fine but nothing special
I did not find this to be very good. It probably doesn't help that I don't like this type of music, but even then, the songs on here just don't sound great.
I don’t enjoy the lead singers voice
oof. whiny and shill. 2
Not funky enough for dance music and outside of a couple of decent tracks, not interesting enough for chilled headphone relaxing music. And kinda pretentious to boot. I gave it three attempts and couldn’t get into it at all.
It gives me a very generic M83 vibe, and eventually becomes boring with overused synths, and bland vocals. One thing is for certain: It's not what I'd call church music. Favorite Song: "Under The Tide"
++: Lies, Science/Visions +: We Sink, Gun, Tether, Night Sky +-: The Mother We Are Sharing, Under the Tide, Lungs, By the Throat, You Caught the Light -: Recover 5,5/10
Man, we were really into anthemic synthpop in the early 2010s. It feels like the music is constantly reaching for a sense of deep emotion while remaining incredibly cold at the same time.
phony
The Mother We Share is by far the best song. The rest of the album is meh.
I am a little conflicted on this one. On one hand I can't stand her vocals or the production, and the song writing is a little bland. But on the other hand I like the synth tones, it is pretty good for pop music, and I get a hint of LCD soundsystem. High 2
probably just not my thing, i like my synth music a bit grittier
Just hard to get into the synth pop for me.
Sehr gewöhnlich. Nichts besonderes.
verkligen inte min grej, men vocalsen är väl bra
With a name like that you’re either getting totally psychotic metal, or totally bland millennial electro pop. Unfortunately this is the latter.
Kevyen melankolisen kuivan Flow-2013-indie. Muutama hyvä melodiakulku.
Nice sound, but seemed like variations on a theme.
I've always wondered why I never got into Chvrches and now I know. It's thin, vacuous synth indie pop.
meh. one or two catchy songs. I think they were In FIFA.
2.5. It’s incredibly bland and forgettable, maybe it was designed to be?
Take the u out of “1001 u need to hear” (2.5/5)
Feel ambivalent towards this….
I don't believe this album is really for me overall. Did not really enjoy it. Made me think of Gunship, which I enjoy far more.
Why are there so many electronica albums on this list? No one NEEDS to hear this much electronica, if any at all. A 2-star album by virtue of me not liking it vs. absolutely hating it.
Brought me back to freshman year in college. But most of the songs seemed to blend together in a soft, boring, flow.
The Electropop group CHVRCHΞS took a lot of inspiration from 80's New Wave and the electronic music from the early 90's to pretty much create a modern and polished version of that sound while still keeping it original. It isn't totally bad but I personally do not really care for what they were doing here. To me it sounds like average Synthpop with very obvious Pop intentions. The energetic opening track 'The Mother We Share' is definitely their best known song and I have to say two things about this. Firstly, I think this definitely influenced Taylor Swifts 1989 album. Secondly, this isn't bad. The production is very much alright as are the lyrics and the vocals but it's mainly the songwriting and the groove that make actually enjoy this song. I don't love it by any means, mainly because there are multiple moments in the song that simply don't work and break the songs structure but overall, it is a pretty good song. The very energetic rythmn production on 'We Sink' are definitely something and I don't know if I like it. The songwriting is fine and I do like some parts a lot but others do feel a little bit left off especially the second half of the song after the bridge. It overall falls pretty average but not too bad. The attempt of an atomsphere on 'Gun' with the synths are absolutely destroyed with how obnoxious they are. I don't get why this song gets so much love. It is a basic and annoying song and nothing more. In fact I actually think that this song is overall pretty bad because the parts that make up the song do not work togther at all. It is just a bad listen the whole way through. The Dream Pop and House influences on the 'Tether' are a nice touch at first but they don't work together and are mixed just obnoxiously loud to the point that the song feels even more annoying than it was at first. Near the end the most annoying string synths that I have ever heard enter the ring as well. It's not as bad as its predecessor but it is a pretty badly produced and performed song and is sitting right on the edge of "below average" and just "bad" with a big tendency towards the latter. The production on 'Lies' might actually be my personal favourite on the album. I really like the loud and distorted sound of it and I could really see this in the hands of a Industrial Hip-Hop group but sadly it is done in the Pop way which does not work at all. It feels like chocolate and cheese, simply not good. It's not totally abhorrent because there is quality but the combination is just not really likable. It's still better than the last two but not by a lot. The House influence returns strongly on 'Under the Tide' which also closes the albums first half. It also switches the vocalist which I don't get because the woman did a much better job than he does here but maybe he was just so eager and doing this one. But sadly that decision seems to not work as the vocals firstly, don't fit and secondly, don't sound good. The song is simply bad in terms of vocal performance and the music itself isn't much better. Some bass parts are not on time and at other times it just sounds bad. Right as the second half starts, we are met with another song which does not work in itself. The vocals do not fit on the production in terms of flow. It sounds jerky and stupid and creates no flow at all. Even Taylor Swift would've perfromed this song better. It is genuinely just a bad Pop song. Sadly, 'Night Sky' isn't much better. It is a bit more enjoyable which does not mean that it is enjoyable. The song is still pretty bad and the songwriting and structuring does not work at all but it at least has a few moments that are slightly entertaining. The lyrics and vocals are just corny though making this overall still not a pleasent experience. 'Science / Visions' definitely tries to sound futuristic and like it actually knows how to structure a song. It definitely builds up and in another context (like a Post-Punk song) this would actually be good but in this Synthpop context it sounds unfinished, overindulgent and unfocused. The result is as bad as the previous songs but maybe a little bit better because the vocal delivery is slightly more on point and at least helps the track. The already weird beginning of 'Lungs' give me pretty much no hope for it and I was right. Who thought that this band trying Glitch Pop would be a good idea??? Björk's Vespertine is how you do Glitch Pop. This just sounds terrible. Genuinely this is the only song so far where I'd say that it's not just bad but on the verge of being simply unlistenable. Glitch Pop is a weird genre and sound and if done right that can create incredible sounds but this is just abhorrent. 'By the Throat' is better but still pretty bad. The production is straight up terrible at points and the songwriting is not much better. The vocals and lyrics are also really uninteresting but it's mainly the backing vocals that are so fucked up that they destroy the song. Bad. The album, finally, closes with 'You Caught the Light' which happens to be the albums longest song and tries to go a more atmospheric, relaxed and even etheral path but this sonic experiment pretty much fails. The synths are annoying and mixed way too loudly and nearly sound distorted. If this was an obvious and genuine attempt at creating a sound like this, it might've worked but this tries to be Pop and not Post-Industrial. The song does get a little better when the male vocalist returns but it's ruined pretty quickly (although there wasn't much to ruin) with the return of the synths. Genuinely unpleasent to hear, straight up terrible. favourites: The Mother We Share least favourites: Lungs, You Caught the Light, Tether, the entire rest (except We Sink) Rating: decent 3 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes
Not my thing at all.
I didn't have high expectations, but I had higher expectations.
The negativity in the lyrics in the lighthearted, upbeat music was disturbing. Not for me.
I like this group but this outing is instantly forgettable. Nothing sticks nothing nothing to hum along to
Inn um annað, út um hitt.
I think ClearChannel ruined this album for me. I've heard "The Mother We Share" before, back when I lived in an area with one "alternative" station, and that song got played to death. It's an okay track, it never made me want to seek out more, so here we are. Unfortunately, a lot of the songs feel a little too close for comfort. The modern production on this makes the entire record feel pretty sanitary, though I will admit I do enjoy the atmosphere that blankets the record, and the Scottish vocals throughout. It's just not my thing. Favorite track: "Science/Visions"
This is the first album I've had so far by an artist I've seen live! I saw Chvrches when they opened for Coldplay The only song I was familiar with was The Mother We Share which I like. The rest aren't very good - some were terrible And over an hour long? Rough The male singers songs were much better than the females Music you'd hear in H&M stores 2 ⭐️
Way too pop and basic for me.
Not my jam - not bad, just not good either.
Not quite. 2.5
Not bad, not great. Most boring album yet in terms of what I have to say about it.
Formulaic and unoriginal
not my jam, pretty monotone..
Not my style of music by any stretch. Even still this is fairly bland, repetitive and vocally similar to plenty of female pop artists. Most of sounds like stock music played as background on TikTok/Youtube videos.
Edgy 2010s hipster music with edgy spelling. They even dare to say “fuck”. Album has not aged well. 2/5
Millennial synth pop. Couldn't get into it
Lieblich aber auch ohne Kanten, nicht so meines
ich mag die stimme leider gar nicht ellie goulding science/visions ganz gut
Good on small doses, but I couldn't listen to the whole thing.
Not my vibe.