The Bones Of What You Believe

CHVRCHES full-length debut is one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of 2013, partly due to the familiarity of such slices of perfect synth-pop as ‘The Mother We Share’, ‘Gun’, ‘Lies’, and ‘Recover’, which combine widescreen musical bombast and sharp lyrical focus.

Lauren Mayberry’s vocals contrast saccharine sweetness with a knowingly cynical, incisive lyricism, effortlessly outclassing lesser peers AlunaGeorge and Disclosure. They have more in common with the dark-edged, sugary fables of Purity Ring, although musically, they are closer to Chromatics and Com Truise’s 80s-referencing synth excursions. The hits are matched by the instantly infectious likes of ‘We Sink’, and the more introspective likes of ‘Tether’. The glitchy perfect pop of ‘Lungs’ is unmatched, guaranteeing the trio’s dominance on a worldwide stage – they’re simply irresistible; Scotland’s finest pop band.