As I said in the introduction, this year's music offerings didn't really impress me all that much. I wasn't that impressed with Covenant's latest album Modern Ruin, nor with VNV Nation's Transnational. A lot of the songs that were the big hits of the year like Blurred Lines and Get Lucky failed to really connect with me. However, there was one band that I discovered a few months back that I've really taken a liking to, and that band is.... (opens envelope)...
#1 - Chvrches - Gun
Supposedly Chvrches are some sort of up-and-coming indie/critical darling, but I actually happened to catch them for the first time when I was flipping channels on regular old TV. It was the video for The Mother We Share, another song that I also could have picked for my top spot, both it and Gun are equally good, it just comes down to preference.
Anyways, Chvrches are from Scotland and lead singer Lauren Mayberry apparently has a Masters Degree in Journalism, which I suppose makes her intellectual or something. Her fragile voice reminds me of shoegazing group Cranes (and wouldn't you know it but look who wrote a good deal of those AMG reviews for Cranes... Mr. Ned Raggett strikes again). AMG says Chvrches are "synth pop inspired by Kate Bush and Prince". And they seem to live up to that description as I've found a video of them performing a cover of Prince's "I Would Die 4 U" at Minneapolis' First Avenue appropriately. So that's it, watch the psychedelic video and enjoy.
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I ... like it! Or should I say, I lvke vt? It's as if Bjork, Saint Etienne, and the Cranberries had a three-way - while New Order watched.
I actually thought "Blurred Lines" and "Get Lucky" were fairly decent. Or rather, I can understand why they were hits and I thought they deserved to be hits (which is not something that I will say for most contemporary hits). They both had a mellow, relaxed, danceable sound that didn't feel terribly forced or overproduced, although "Blurred Lines" was basically a remake of that Marvin Gaye song and "Get Lucky" was basically a Chic song. But that's fine with me. If the public insists on wanting to hear "new" songs on the radio, I don't mind if artists just regurgitate old sounds. Modern indie rock bands should seriously ask themselves, "Would our album of self-written songs sound better than an album of us just covering 12 Rolling Stones songs?" Maybe now is not exactly the greatest time for songwriting.
My biggest problem with "Blurred Lines" is that the lyrics are creepy, and so is the video. I'm rarely in the mood to hear a guy talk about how sexy he is.
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