CHVRCHES: Go Beyond Indie Pop

CHVRCHES w/ Mansionair
Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
10.14.15

It’s been a powerful couple of years for Scottish electro-pop band CHVRCHES, who blasted airwaves with their super-charged 2013 full-length debut The Bones Of What You Believe and spent the past two years touring the world on it’s success. With the announcement of their sophomore album and requisite tour dates, their Paramount show was high on my list.

When I first caught wind of CHVRCHES they felt like a best-kept-secret, their track “The Mother We Share” on constant replay in my earphones. But now that everyone else is in on their brilliance, catching their live show is an exercise in brutal pop indulgences. The crowd was thick, folks maneuvering for the best standing-room spot on the floor of the historic theatre, hands constantly in the air, girls and guys alike singing along. Every minute of it worth it.

From the moment the band hits the stage, their energy is palpable. A wall of lights and screens in the back and two platforms for multi-instrumentalist Ian Cook and vocalist/synth guy Martin Doherty frame the stage. Lead vocalist Lauren Mayberry, breaks into “Never Ending Circles” the lead track off of their September release Every Open Eye and then segues into “We Sink,” stalking the dark, strobe-lit stage, the guys making major magic from either side, Doherty in constant dance-move motion behind the decks.

Banter between songs leads to jokes about being foreign, chat about coffee and video games, and Mayberry’s story about being a huge Death Cab For Cutie fan (and once singing their hit “Title and Registration” at an open mic) won over any lukewarm heart in the crowd. Doherty took over the mic for “Under The Tide” and though I wish they’d also given him “High Enough To Carry You Over” from the new album, I’ll take what I can get. The glistening, emotionally honest spoils of CHVRCHES’ talent is clear during an impressively executed show that brings to life exactly the anthemic pop drama of their records.

Opening the show were relative Aussie newcomers Mansionair, who released their 2014 EP Hold Me Down on CHVRCHES’ own label Goodbye Records, were thoroughly impressive with their emotive, foggy, synth-pop. The three-piece band commented that the crowd was so quiet, which was entirely true, but I have a feeling they’ll be back around soon with more fanfair. They played a great set that showed off their slightly shoegaze, bluesy vocals and electro-laced tracks that made me immediately add them into listening rotation.

Catch up with the tour here.

CHVRCHES Set List
Never Ending Circles
We Sink
Keep You On My Side
Lies
Make Them Gold
Empty Threat
Tether
Playing Dead
Science/Visions
Gun
Bury It
Under The Tide
Recover
Clearest Blue
Leave A Trace
Encore
Afterglow
The Mother We Share