By: James Southworth
Rating: 3/5 Stars
It's always refreshing for me to find a band I like that doesn't align with my typical music taste. I do like quite a variety of music, but synthpop/electronic music usually just comes across as unengaging to me. This definitely is not the case with CHVRCHES, who I feel are one of the most creative bands out there. They make their electronic sound dense and complex, with "Every Open Eye" being one of the most fun and interesting albums of the 2010s. I'm glad that I was able to discover this band almost randomly. Now they are back with "Love is Dead", which is definitely the group playing their hand at trying to go into the mainstream, while also attempting to keep their signature sound intact. The result is a bit of a mixed bag of an album. None of the material here really offends, but not much of it entirely impresses either.
The album has a good start with "Graffiti", which is certainly one of the more interesting tracks on the album. It has the sound that fans have come to expect from this band, except it sounds a bit more upbeat. There are a lot of tracks here that have a more upbeat and fun feel to them, which disguises the fact that there's quite some more darker content on this album. This trope of happy sounding music with dark lyrics has been done by many bands, but I think that CHVRCHES do a good enough job at making their turn at it work. Lauren Mayberry's vocals are as reliable as ever in this song, especially in the chorus that is sure to get stuck in your head. Repetitive choruses are something that's a big problem on the first half of this album, but it at least works on "Deliverance". This song definitely leans more into the band's signature synth/pop style, and has a drop that is irresistible. It is admittedly hard to not sing along to this track, as it does everything right in terms of creating a great hook. "My Enemy" features Matt Berninger of The National, and his chemistry with Lauren is really good. I like the darker atmosphere this song has, as well as the harmonies between Lauren and Matt. The brooding feel of this song makes it pretty unique in context of a more accessibly upbeat album, so this song is definitely one of my favorites. It's one that I could see myself coming back to.
The second half of this album is vastly better than the second half, starting off with another album highlight in "Miracle". I like Lauren's impassioned vocal delivery in the chorus. There are some bombastic drumbeats that dominate a good portion of this song, making it feel like it has some real weight to it as Lauren sings out "Ask for forever when the end is in sight/Showin' what you want to/We're lookin' for light inside an ocean of night/But will we ever see it through?". This is definitely one of the lyrical highlights of the album, as the band talks about how it shouldn't take a miracle for people to show love and care for one another. It's a relevant message for our time, and while it's not delivered in a super original way, I still like that the band clearly cares about it. The best track on the album comes in "Graves", mainly because of how redemptive and powerful it is, both musically and lyrically. Musically, there are some really bright, fun synths playing, and a solid beat that is near danceable in how catchy it is. Lyrically, this song has Lauren voicing support for the oppressed, saying how she won't look away from the injustices happening to them. I like how this song isn't overly preachy, but Lauren also isn't afraid to call out those who don't care for the disenfranchised: "And you can look away/While they're dancing on our graves". The album continues on a winning streak with "Heaven/Hell" (which has a killer instrumental ending) and the intriguing vocal performance by Martin Doherty on the almost ethereal "God's Plan". There is also the heart wrenching ballad "Really Gone", which showcases Lauren's most raw vocal performance, and reminds of something from the band's debut album (which is a good thing). The album ends with the cinematic interlude "ii" before going in to the unbelievably fun closing track "Wonderland", which has some of the best usage of electronics on the whole album.
As you can probably tell, I didn't have a whole lot to say about even the good songs on this album. There's not really a track on here that I would say wowed me or blew me away. That was a little disappointing to me, because this band has made several electronic jams that have surprised me. Just look to tracks like "The Mother We Share" and "Leave a Trace" on their past works and you'll see what I mean. Besides maybe "Graves" and "Wonderland", there's not that many songs that left a lasting impression on me. That means that the bad songs here aren't necessarily offensive. They more often than not came across as just forgettable. "Get Out" was not the best choice for a lead single in my opinion, as the chorus almost solely just repeats the title of the song over and over again. That repetition is something that occurs way too often on this album, especially in the first half. "Forever" and "Never Say Die" coming back to back is a bit annoying. Both of them also rely on the trope of saying the name of the song title repeatedly. The latter track verges on being insufferable, particularly with that distorted voice in the background going "Didn't you say that" ad nauseaum. There aren't any other specific tracks that bother me, but the first half of the album particularly gets bogged down with that reliance on repetition. There's no denying that CHVRCHES have done this type of thing in the past, but it was usually done with a purpose. With these songs, it feels like they're relying on that trope as a crutch.
As a whole, "Love Is Dead" is a decent album. It's not great, but it's not bad either. If there was more stuff like the second half of the album, I would've definitely been a bit more receptive to it. I do actually recommend the album just for that pretty solid second half. If you are a big CHVRCHES fan, I'm not sure how you will react to this release. I've been seeing some pretty mixed reactions, and I understand those who love the album and those who don't. I do advise you to check out this album, as it does feel like a pretty quick and easy listen. I am open to this band continuing to foray into the mainstream, as this release shows some real promise of them doing it well. I hope they really hit the nail on the head next time.
Favorite Songs: "Graves", "Wonderland", "Really Gone", "Miracle", "My Enemy"
Least Favorite Songs: "Never Say Die", "Forever", "Get Out"
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