CHVRCHES - Recover EP review (Electro-pop/Indie, UK)

The name of the Glaswegian electro-pop band sounds forbidding. ‘CHVRCHES’ hints at yet another hipster pop band avoiding the mainstream with their culturally bankrupt spellings, and therefore bound to have limited success and a cult following. Supported by a lack of biography and few announcements prior to the release of the track ‘Lies’ last summer, the trio had an element of mystique or ‘cloak and dagger’ appeal to them. Despite limited media attention, CHVRCHES came fifth on the BBC’s New Year’s poll of tune makers, and supported fellow indie bands: Two Door Cinema Club, Passion Pit and Depeche Mode. CHVRCHES, having been compared to Grimes or a hyperactive Ellie Goulding, caused festivals on both sides of the Atlantic to offer the trio slots to play this summer.
Lauren Mayberry fronts the band with a sickly-sweet, angelic voice, which is sometimes piercing, yet still delicate and beautiful amongst synths and pop-hooks that burrow into our minds. Nothing short of magnificent, CHVRCHES establish forceful pop songs in hurricanes of limitless and godless energy; ‘Recover’ is the first and standout track on the EP with Mayberry’s vocals arching over pitter-patters, RnB bass elements and 80s influenced synthesisers. Multiple interrogatives display her confusion, desperation, or possibly plain naïve nature in a failing relationship, sounding almost precocious with Mayberry’s falsetto childlike voice. That said, when played loud, the vocals are lost amongst the pounding, colossal bass, and this is the band’s one downfall; the sea of professionally layered synthesisers and pop beats are sometimes too matched to Mayberry’s voice, causing the vocals to become lost or masked during the chorus.
‘ZVVL’ begins where ‘Recover’ leaves off. Iain Cook’s vocals are established as the main presence during this track; where Mayberry’s vocals are naturally shrill and cute, Cook’s voice is monotone and lethargic. Warped by computers, his voice wouldn’t sound too out of place on the latest Daft Punk record ‘Random Access Memories’, and electronic chimes  alongside pounding dance/bass beats carries on the 80’s inspired sound. The synthesisers don’t have as much of an impact as they do in ‘Recover’, but they stop the song becoming overpowering alongside the relentless bass beats. The track becomes slightly repetitive towards the end of the track, but stops at the appropriate point before it becomes boring and slightly frustrating. ‘Now Is Not The Time’ is slower paced than the previous songs, and Mayberry’s vocals sound slightly deflated and softer in utterances; refreshing after the previous full-on and dance inspired songs, yet charming and cute, still. Electronic hooks and pop beats are still present in the slower paced track, and it gives the impression of a mature approach to their same style.
Two remixes of Recover bring the EP round to a close. Not sounding too different from the original, yet still completely original, the remixes are energetic, atmospheric and airy. Lifting the original track to new levels, the remixes create dreamy aesthetics but do not come close to the dark dreamscapes that Crystal Castles or White Ring dominate. Electronic and bass-crammed ambiences overshadow the vocal presence during the latter part of the EP, yet still sounding true to CHVRCHES’ sound.
Acting as a teaser for their future debut album ‘The Bones Of What You Believe’, the Recover EP captures CHVRCHES’ delicately produced, electronic energy and dramatic soundscapes into three tracks and two remixes; CHVRCHES have put their destiny in their own hands to potentially become one of the biggest electronic acts during the next year.

Check out the single 'Recover' below.

The Naked And Famous - Hearts Like Ours, single review (Indie-Electronic/Post-Punk Revival, New Zealand)

The Naked And Famous hit the ground running and burst onto the music scene with their 2011 debut ‘Passive Me, Aggressive You’, receiving global critical acclaim; the stunning singles, ‘Young Blood’ and ‘Punching In A Dream’, being instantly featured on hit US shows, such as The Vampire Diaries and Gossip Girl. The mysterious musical ensemble craft their own anthemic, psych-pop flavour with a twist of 80’s post-punk influence, which results in well-produced melodic songs that are hard not to love; dance-floor heartbeats and crackling synths blended with occasional heavy guitar riffs make TN&F one of the more unique indie-electronic bands out there, purely because they’re not afraid to shy away from sounds that they adore. Recently having secured a contract with indie record label, Fiction Records (home to the likes of Crystal Castles, Snow Patrol and The Maccabees), The Naked And Famous had a lot of pressure from fans to become a little more steady on their feet, and the new single ‘Hearts Like Ours’ displays that the band are doing exactly that. Alisa Xayalith’s cute, yet sometimes urgent, vocals which glide and soar amongst hazy, electronic textures, are still present, and are still partnered with Thom Powers’ more melancholic, drowsy utterances that drift in and out of the bouncy notes and tense, haunting synths – somewhat similar to The xx’s heartfelt vocalist cohesion.
 Orchestrating and combining musical ingredients is hardly innovative these days (think M83, MGMT and Grouplove), however, TN&F’s knack for layering songs and sounds leads us to somewhere interesting, and ‘Hearts Like Ours’ is a shining example of this. Festival-fit, reductively romantic and self-immersing, it carries their trademark psych-rock sound that is carried by electronic fuzzy cues. The song bursts into colour and motion (definitely fit to be named a summer anthem) as Alisa exclaims “Half awake and almost dead/Keep an empty bed downstairs!”. Static will rattle amplifiers, fuses will blow and drumbeats and bass will shake the earth when played loud, as it was clearly intended to be. The band seems to have taken more control of the guitar riffs, electronic beats and Alisa’s vocals, which is definitely a change that is to be accepted with warm, open arms.  Nevertheless, it does sound a little similar to ‘Girls Like You’, and it feels as if the band has played it a tad safe by mimicking the structure of ‘Young Blood’. That said, the emotionally-charged chorus and sensitive, captivating lyrics will become buried in your mind, as the uplifting sound of Powers and Xayalith singing in unison will have festival crowds globally chanting the lyrics, while they fist-pump and dance to the tectonic bass.

Although it has been a long wait for devoted TN&F fans, it has been worth their while as The Naked And Famous have taken their next strike at musical success, yet a very tentative one. With fingers crossed, TN&F’s sophomore album should, hopefully, exceed ‘Passive Me, Aggressive You’, and ‘Hearts Like Ours’ is a single that certainly suggests so.
‘In Rolling Waves’ is expected to be released September 16^th 2013, featuring singles ‘Hearts Like Ours’ and ‘Waltz’.

Crystal Castles - Affection, Tarantula x remix review (Electronic/Witch-House/Remix, Canada)

After the successful Tarantula x remix of Crystal Castle's ‘Pale Flesh', Crystal Castles fans were ecstatic when it was announced that the producer had gone on to create another teeth-jarring, tectonic bass-filled remix of ‘Affection’. Unlike most remixes, the vocals presence is maintained throughout, ensuring the eerie mood, which was established in the original track, remains; this is not only a rare achievement, but it further satisfies our greedy aural senses as Glass creepily instructs us to “Catch a Moth, hold it in your hand; crush it casually” through a cocoon of ticks, layered electronic wails and a repeated bass-drop. Witch-house elements should be met with open arms once hyperactive RnB inspired claps commence to snap and crack down our ear canal, while deep, sinister pulses echo and bounce gently.The haunting sound creates brooding images of deserted city streets on bitter winter nights, as electronic throbs and synthesisers grasp the listener's full attention towards the end of the track.
Although the remix doesn't quite reach the benchmark set by the enigmatic original, it is triumphant in replicating a morbid atmosphere and precisely mirrors the energy that Ethan and Alice execute perfectly as a duo.

IYES - review of various tracks (Electronic, UK)

Electronic-indie duo IYES have amassed almost 100,000 soundcloud plays, performed at the Great Escape Festival this year, and caused an animated buzz across multiple music blogs with their invigorating, ethereal melodies. Strongly likened to Purity Ring and The XX, minus their melancholy tone, IYES have produced three beautiful demos that capture real human emotions and are filled to the brim with hope.

‘Lighthouse’ opens with delicate warbles alongside Melis’s softly spoken words, “My love is deep, as deep as the ocean”, which eases the listener in comfortably, as an XX-style guitar begins to play and mesmerising electronic synthesisers start to pulsate. The synthesisers develop, expand and become layered as Josh’s strong, assertive voice draws the listener further into the song, and creates an electric ambience that any established artist would be envious of, as the duality of the vocalists takes the song to a new peak.
Their second demo, ‘Glow’, envelops the listener in a shroud of bright, heartening sound which gently creates an aesthetic atmosphere that really does make you glow. Upbeat bass in cohesion with layered electronic synthesisers, xylophone licks and an expertly played guitar reflects the warm feeling of love, hand-in-hand with the lyrics; “Held your flame on the beach, it made me glow”.  Decadent cymbals pour into the song as the energetic, emotional chorus explodes and the bass quickens; the dynamic pace that is present displays the duo’s diversity as musicians, which contrasts completely to the slower pace that is apparent in Lighthouse.
‘Daddy’ carries on where ‘Glow’ leaves off with electronic wails that echo into infinity, while Josh’s vocals reach out to us, pleasantly arousing our senses in unification with a subtle bass and a lightly played guitar.

IYES display their massive potential across the three demos in a gracious demeanour that showcases their talent and excellent craftsmanship with music; they are a delightful duo that Brighton should definitely be proud of.

Check out IYES's demo 'Glow' and also check out their soundcloud; post a comment below, do IYES get your seal of approval?

https://soundcloud.com/weareiyes