CHVRCHES released their fourth studio album, ‘Screen Violence’ and it delivered a wonderful variety of synth-pop while also contributing an excellent combination of electronic sounds.
The Scottish synth-pop trio finally made a comeback since their previous album release ‘Love is Dead’ (2018) which had some outstanding tracks such as “Get Out,” “Miracle,” and “Forever.” As the previous era held a self-explanatory album name, the various tracks did express past heartbreak, healing from the hurt and moving on from relationships that just didn’t work out.
‘Screen Violence’ (2021), on the other hand, portrays an in-depth journey of gaining a sense of self-control during a time of isolation due to the pandemic that first progressed in 2020. “Asking for a Friend” introduces the album in a self-realization way where CHVRCHES frontwoman, Lauren Mayberry takes accountability for hurting her past lover, but at the same time feels guilty about it. “‘Cause I sunk some ships with selfish lips/And it all came back to me/I was terrified/I never told them why.” Mayberry accepts that she caused pain for the other person, and she hesitated telling the truth of cheating on them with someone else to spare their feelings.
“Good girls” is an absolute stellar track with so many electro instrumentals and Mayberry’s lead vocals will most definitely take your breath away. She is very passionate within this song where listeners become reeled into such a fantastic range. “Is it easier when you don’t have to count to ten/When you don’t have to pretend/I want to know that feeling/Is it easier when you don’t have to start again,” based on these lyrics, it can interpreted that Mayberry is going through a rough patch in her life as a well-known musician who doesn’t feel like she fits society’s image of a ‘good girl,’ but has also had it with the criticism.
As CHVRCHES has started to become more popular, it also means there’s more spotlight shined on the trio. “Lullabies,” in this case, has narrowed down an interpretation of how Mayberry feels as they continue to grow. “I’m getting tired of trying so hard to be adored/Close the door/Wish I’d reach out to my mother more/Wish that I hadn’t kept score,” this may also show listeners that the “other side” of fame can be time consuming and overwhelming because there are hardly enough hours in the day to reach out to loved ones on tight schedules.
Overall, ‘Screen Violence’ shed light towards the cons of heartbreak, stress and fame in a meaningful manner.