"Pop music is anti-intelligent."
"Pop music takes no talent to make."
"Pop music is the worst genre and has fully killed the art of music."
These are all statements I've heard around the internet in one form or another. Now, I'm not going to say that there doesn't exist an abundance of stupid, obnoxious, or outright offensively horrible pop music, because there certainly does.
However, I'm not one to discredit an entire, massive genre just because of its shortcomings, abundant as they may be. I'm under the belief that any kind of music can be good, and this includes pop. Yes, it's usually very simplistic and mostly electronically-driven, meaning classic rock snobs and "90's kids" scream in horror at the though of it, but that doesn't mean there aren't any pop artists out there making legitimately fantastic stuff, and CHVRCHES is probably the best example out there.
Their 2013 release The Bones Of What You Believe was an excellent blast of synth pop, with Lauren Mayberry's gorgeous vocals and the excellent synth work that made the album feel very atmospheric, is was a perfect display of what the group was capable of.
And here, they've taken what made TBOWYB so good and amplified to eleven. Every Open Eye may be the best pop album that's come out in a long time.
The first and biggest thing of note: this album is beautiful. Like, utterly gorgeous. Not just from a musical standpoint, although the musicality on display is easily one of the best things about the album and we'll get to it, but also just on aesthetic and themes. Look at the album art, the videos they've released for the singles, the songwriting, this shows the band building on the absolutely breathtaking soundscape and pushing it further with some stunning imagery.
The music, of course, matches that beauty brilliantly. The synth work on this album is much cleaner and brighter than on Bones, and it works wonders for this album. The vocal samples, the blurry chip tune sounds, the grand, soaring choruses and drops on tracks like Clearest Blue and Keep You On My Side give the album a heavy atmosphere, one that just bleeds optimism and wonder. It's a pure experience, and Lauren's vocals are just the cherry on the top, her voice just soars all throughout this record.
I think the best example of all of this comes in the lead off single Leave A Trace, possibly the best song on the album. It's one of the slower tracks on the record, but it absolutely works in its favor. It's a bit hard to describe just what a pretty, almost ethereal experience it is listening to this song, but it's possibly one of the best things the band has ever done.
There are, of course, points where the album switches things up. Most notably, the male vocals on the track High Enough To Carry You Over, performed by the band's own Martin Doherty, who holds his own excellently, and the slower, more somber closer Afterglow, which is not one of my favorites on the album, but it closes the record on a nice change of pace.
If you're a fan of music that sets up a great atmosphere, makes you feel good, or just quality music in general, Every Open Eye is an album I cannot recommend enough. Seriously, CHVRCHES have outdone themselves on this one, and it's certainly one of the best releases of this year.
Take my word. It's a good one.
BEST SONGS: Leave A Trace, Clearest Blue, Playing Dead, Make Them Gold, High Enough To Carry You Over
WORST SONGS: Bury It, Empty Threat
Final Score:
9/10
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