Does anyone remember the brief lived tv series on AMC known as NOS24A? Or something? Nosfartu? It was based on a book, and an evil vampire. Anyway, on one of the episodes, the closing track really captured me to the point I looked to find who it was. It happened to be Broken Bones by CHVRCHES. I kind of fell into their synthpop rabbit hole after that.
Love is Dead was a little shoddy in places, and the lead single to Screen Violence was less than impressive. The two singles after saved my anticipation and I decided it was worth the listen.
The album begins with "Asking for a Friend" which actually reminds me more of their early work. The line references that little generic thing we do when we are actually...asking for ourselves but imply we are asking for someone else out of shame.
In the context of the entire album, "He Said She Said" is actually a better song. I sometimes have this happen. I had a similar effect with Twenty One Pilot's "Trench" singles. I disliked them until I heard the entire product and saw its part in the whole. It certainly references someone being difficult to please and somewhat emotionally abusive.
"California" really begins to build the plot, appearing to struggle to let go and chase forward the dreams even if it kills you.
"Violent Delights" appears to reference night terrors but also the terror of losing the people you love the most. Somehow these dreams creep in and you don't know how to protect them.
"How Not to Drown" includes the ever so lovely Robert Smith of the Cure and really brought the song alive. The lyrics stood out on this one to me, learning to stay conscious when drowning. Emotional baggage can really cause a fog like that.
"Final Girl" is uniquely ambiguous. Is she screaming from happiness, or horror? Sometimes fame can change you and it appears the lead is questioning if she will recognize herself in the end.
"Good Girls" discusses the issue of assuming nothing bad will happen to a "good girl" except it is not true. No one should be blamed for bad things happening to them to begin with. We should blame the people who...you know...do bad things.
"Lullabies" sounds a bit like "Final Girl" lyrically except she seems to be in part two of the struggle, and saying screw it all.
"Nightmares" has such conviction to it and stands out amongst the tracks. Definitely my favorite by a mile.
The album closes with "Better If You Don't", a solid but sad way to close the album. Taking off disguises and discussing how fame has readjusted their perspective.
Lyrics: 8/10 - Pretty profound. Usually things like this come off pretentious and unrelatable but instead it feels like life changes which could bother anyone.
Music: 9/10 - Sonically good, but sometimes too cohesive and blends into places.
Overall: 8/10 - A lot better than Love is Dead when it comes to conviction and meaning. Seems a perfect balance between the old and new styles. Definitely shows growth. Worth a listen.
Comments
Post a Comment
Suggestions or comments