Live Review: CHVRCHES, O2 Academy, Newcastle (07/03/2014)

Housing as it does some of the finest pop songs in recent memory, CHVRCHES' LP The Bones of What You Believe was one I had no problem falling for, even if I held it to be a somewhat hit-and-miss affair. That, however, is a stance I've had to revise after witnessing their belated Newcastle debut; an all too brief hour of soaring hooks and bulging electronics which served not only to confirm the album's strength but also to vindicate every last ounce of hyperbole to which the Glaswegians have been subjected. 

2013: Records. Themes. Gigs. The Lot.

Like every other self-respecting music freak, I'm more than partial to the annual December list-athon, but what I cannot fathom are those which instantly speculate how a given year will be remembered. Sure, it's an intriguing aspect to the whole discussion, but alleging certain records will remain classics for years and decades to come is ultimately a hiding to nothing. Who's to say that Yeezus, for example, won't gather dust as its production tricks and shock value succumb to age, or that come 2020 we won't snigger at Modern Vampires of the City as an "album of the year" catastrophe? On the other side of the coin, how can we be sure we've not dismissed another Odessey and Oracle or Velvet Underground & Nico; an overlooked gem whose early obscurity masks a future cult classic?

With these and other bloopers in mind, I prefer to avoid declaring which LPs we'll view as "the best" or "the most important" with retrospect, and instead focus on the patterns and events which have unquestionably left an impression on the here and now. Without further ado, then, here the themes which have shaped my own musical year, together with a selection of personal favourites from what present impressions suggest has been another solid 12-month innings...

Artist Of The Day: CHVRCHES

After Purity Ring took over the indie world with their future leaning synth pop sound, it was rather obvious that similar bands would soon rise up along their success. CHVRCHES may lack the hip hop influence that Purity Ring has stuck into their signature sound, but the fact that each of the groups has a female vocalist sweetly singing over electronic beats with infectious melodies is enough for an association to occur. Meanwhile, both groups have taken similar trajectories to their popularity. Both Purity Ring and CHVRCHES only had a small number of songs released to enormous hype before a highly anticipated full length album, and based on the brand new track "Guns," it looks like CHVRCHES is going to follow Purity Ring's path to selling out large clubs. The higher pitched and lower pitched synths blend together seamlessly to create the driving beat of the chorus while Lauren Mayberry's vocals are more immediately pleasing than ever before. While not as in your face catchy as previous singles "The Mother We Share" and "Recover," this track may be the best constructed of the songs to date, and only indicates a blockbuster of a debut to come for the trio. Make sure to keep up with the band on Facebook and stream "Guns" on Soundcloud.