CHVRCHES
Every Open Eye
Glassnote
It’s incredible how far CHVRCHES pushes their boundaries on Every Open Eye. The band maintains their deceptively chipper sound; bright synth flourishes always contrasting lead vocalist Lauren Mayberry’s introspective lyricism. But, the juxtaposition’s anxiety crescendos on their sophomore record. The beats bang, the synths pound and Mayberry’s vocals soar. Periodically, it feels excessively upbeat with the only real down-tempo track coming in as the closer. But, more often than not, it’s pop euphoria. “Clearest Blue,” for instance, builds towards an emotional and musical climax that shatters and pummels on for about two minutes – it’s the closest the group has gotten to making pure dance music. The group also explores techno with the immaculate duo “Playing Dead” and “Leave a Trace.” These tracks are also the more biting ones, with Mayberry describing the former as a “middle-finger mic drop.”
