#5 - Chvrches - The Mother We Share
Perhaps the most amazing of the pleasantly surprising alt-rock bands, Chvrches exploded onto the US scene late in 2013 and haven't looked back. The gorgeous Lauren Mayberry fronts the Scottish synth-poppers and she is flanked by the equally talented Iain Cook and Martin Doherty. All who know me know I have a soft spot for beautiful Scottish female vocalists (Sharleen Spiteri, Annie Lennox, Shirley Manson, etc) and Mayberry is no exception. Her voice hits beautiful highs in every song she graces as she weaves notes together in perfect harmony. The same could be said about the two men manning the synths. Each song is almost perfectly layered and alternates between bouncy, happy synths and serious, sullen pieces that mix into a beautiful symphony. Mayberry's voice also translates wonderfully live, which is often a rarity in female synth voices. My favorite tracks off of "The Bones of What You Believe" are "Gun" (which is musically the top of the line), "Strong Hand", "Under The Tide", "We Sink", and "Recover".
But the best and most impactful song from 2014 is the opening track and lead single, "The Mother We Share". It opens with Mayberry's "oh"s looped as the dual synths kick in with a thumping drum'n'bass section. The verses aren't overly complicated but the choruses soar behind the bouncy keys. The verses tell a lonely tale that could be construed as a brother-sister falling out or a love story gone wrong. It isn't expressly stately whom "The mother we share" is and whether that is a maternal person or a figurative mother. Either way, the video shows a lonely girl walking through the city, mixed with the beautiful singing face of Miss Mayberry. This is one of those songs that can amplify both happiness and sadness, but the most powerful verse is the final, "Into the night for once, we're the only ones left. I bet you even know where we could go, oh oh. When it all fucks up, you put your head in my hands. It's a souvenir for when you go, oh oh." It really hit me in the feels earlier this year when I was down on myself, but this is a song for every mood. Well done, Chvrches. You were all over the place in 2014.
Title: The Mother We Share
Artist: Chvrches
Album: The Bones Of What You Believe
Previous #5s
2013: Born of Osiris - M∆chine
2012: The Shins - Simple Song
2011: Cold - The Break
2010: Matt and Kim - Cameras
2009: Michael Bublé - Just Haven't Met You Yet
No comments:
Post a Comment