When synth pop was enjoying its heyday in the first half of the 1980s, British bands barely managed to gain a foothold in the United States. The exception was , the coincidental project of a hitherto unsuccessful musician ( ) and a Scottish singer ( ). Thirty years later, history repeats itself, now with Iain Cook as the frustrated musician and Lauren Mayberry as the Scottish singer whom he,
… through producer Martin Doherty, gets to know. The three of them form synth pop band Chvrches, whose excellent debut (2013) also catches on in the US. Those Americans recognize quality! And to think that successor Every Open Eye is even better. Mayberry's vocals in songs like Leave A Trace and Clearest Blue are sharper, Cook and Doherty's synths are fatter, each song has a catchy hook and the lyrics are about something as well. Chvrches may not have an evergreen like (yet), but we can enjoy this band for years to come. (RME)more
