The Glaswegian synth pop group are back with their third record to date, titled Love Is Dead. Landing on the scene back in 2013, with their debut album The Bones Of What You Believe, the band have enjoyed worldwide success thanks to Lauren Mayberry’s powerful vocals and Iain Cook and Martin Doherty’s pop heavy synths and beats. The LP also welcomes a feature from The National’s frontman Matt Berninger, on the track My Enemy, which feels like it could have easily been off a record by the xx.
The opening track, Graffiti, is particularly impressive while singles Never Say Die and Miracle are alluring pop numbers with their evolving commanding synths and snappy hooks. Possibly the most meaningful and socially aware track on the LP is Graves, as CHVRCHES speak on how the powerful in society often turn a blind eye to “people washing up on the shore”, a cry perhaps to the refugee crisis that cripples millions in our world today.
Overall, it’s a welcomed effort from CHVRCHES, their first since 2015 with Every Open Eye, as the album is extremely pop, with a flooding of altered vocals and synth leads, that feel repetitive at times but will no doubt appeal to fans far and wide.