Music
Chvrches adds slick production to their pop sound, while Biffy Clyro are engaging company unplugged Fionashepherd
Album reviews, plus David Kettle on Peter Oundjian’s departure from the RSNO
For all their members’ respective backgrounds on Glasgow’s grassroots indie scene, Chvrches have always been a pop band – an apologetic one in their early days perhaps, becoming more fully fledged on second album Open
Every Eye and now untethering themselves from their DIY bonds to allow a fourth individual into their marriage.
After a couple of disaster dates, they have forged their dream producer partnership with Greg Kurstin, celebrated for his work with the likes of Adele, Sia and Foo Fighters. Together, they continue to embrace the brazen pop beast within on their third album. With such production pedigree,
Love Is Dead fits all too comfortably into the processed pop landscape – opening track Graffiti is a prime slice of reedy synth pop for young hearts running free, but there is a darker synth buzz to Get Out, a steely edge to Lauren Mayberry’s dissection of organised religion on Deliverance and a pacey pop takedown of privileged complacency on Graves (“if you don’t have a heart, I can offer you mine”) as a reminder that Chvrches have form in sugaring life’s bitter pills.
Martin Docherty gets his traditional token lead vocal and makes it count on the propulsive dance track God’s
Plan and there is a welcome change of pace with Really Gone, an exposed ballad with a pretty vocal and an elegant minimal backdrop. As before, the tunes and hooks are strong enough to cut through the sometimes samey synth landscape.
Another big beast trio return this week, as Biffy Clyro happily submit themselves to the MTV Unplugged cycle of acoustic gigs by major rock and pop artists. The familiar chant of “’mon the Biff!” rings out in anticipation, while frontman Simon Neil responds to cries for one of their more angular early numbers with the wisecrack that “it’s meat free Wednesdays”.
Some might miss the taps-aff warrior charge of their full electric incarnation but the good-humoured banter throughout gives a sense of what a fun gathering this was, while the setlist highlights the strong melodic streak running through their biggest hits and makes room for a new song – strident folk rock strum
Different Kind Of Love – and a rare cover of The Beach Boys’ God Only
Knows, delivered in a gruff croon and a stretched tenor.
LUMP is an electro-acoustic collaboration between acclaimed singer/songwriter Laura Marling and producer Mike Lindsay (Tuung/ Throws), debuting with this self-titled suite of music. Marling’s rich, lilting soprano is unmistakeable as it circles over a bed of electronica or manifests in heavenly multi-tracked harmony for a devotional choral effect. Lindsay is a practised hand when it comes to delivering soothing psychedelics with an epic swell, while the acid twang of guitar and plangent bass on Curse of
the Contemporary comes closest to Marling’s signature siren folk.
Distant Voices is a collaboration on a more ambitious scale between a number of established Scottish musicians paired by arts organisation Vox Liminis with individuals who are part of the criminal justice system, be they warders, inmates or social workers. A host of songs were workshopped in prisons across Scotland and the best finessed for this consistently absorbing album.
Prison life has provided fertile material for everyone from Johnny Cash to Nick Cave, but the songs on
Not Known At This Address are more about grappling with transition, from the folk confessional The Man
I Used To Be, sung by Kris Drever, to the determined I Won’t Follow Him
to the Grave, delivered with a diarylike directness by Emma Pollock, plus it gives the usually winsome C Duncan the opportunity to step up to surprisingly muscular electro rock mode on Weather You.
The setlist highlights the strong melodic streak running through Biffy Clyro’s biggest hits