The Bones of What You Believe (10 Year Anniversary Special Editions)

Chvrchesの2013年のデビュー・アルバム『The Bones Of What You Believe』10周年記念盤登場!
Gavin Lurrsenによる新リマスタリング。特注のダイカット・スリーブ付き 2LPエディション。

Arriving after a years worth of anticipation that included plenty of blogger appreciation, several EPs, and inclusion in the BBCs Sound of 2013 shortlist, Chvrches debut album surpassed the significant hype surrounding it. Many of The Bones of What You Believes songs already appeared on those buzz-building EPs, most notably "The Mother We Share," "Gun," and "Recover," all of which exemplify the Glasgow trios way with frosty synths and poignant melodies. Within the albums context, though, they reveal a band not nearly as arty or aloof as their seemingly like-minded contemporaries. With their ready hooks and fondness for grand gestures, Chvrches bring pop with a capital P back to synth pop. As their early EPs hinted, a large part of their appeal comes from Lauren Mayberrys voice. Theres something about her bright, slightly raspy soprano that grabs ears and hearts, even though she spends most of the album telling off those near and dear to her. On "Lungs," she sings "All the things you tell yourself offer no resolution" to a melody so sweet that it just sharpens the sting of her words, and the way she delivers the refrain "Ill be a thorn in your side" on "We Sink" sounds more like a promise than a threat. While keyboardist/vocalist Martin Dohertys lead turns on "Under the Tide" and the dreamy album-closer "You Caught the Light" offer pleasant respites from Mayberrys intensity, his tracks take the band in a direction that sounds more like a synth-driven version of Frightened Rabbit or the Twilight Sad (in fact, Doherty was a touring member of the latter band). Like those bands, as well as their 80s influences, Chvrches embrace big sounds and feelings without a trace of irony, whether its "Tether"s massive drums or Mayberrys pleas to "make me blind so I dont ever look back" on the slow-building "Night Sky." This disarming emotional directness, coupled with huge melodies, makes The Bones of What You Believe a fine introduction to one of the bands that shaped the sound of the 2010s.~ Heather Phares

〈BBC Sound Of 2013〉にノミネートされ、プレ・デビューEPや〈サマソニ〉出演を通じて日本でもすでに大人気なグラスゴーの3人組。超待望のファースト・フル・アルバムは、80年代のヤズーやイレイジャーなどなどを思わせるイイ塩梅にセンティメンタルな出来映えです。何より透明感抜群のチャイルディッシュな歌声を聴かせてくれるローレンちゃんが可愛すぎて、身体中に電気が走りました。
bounce (C)白神篤史