If Glasgow synthpoppers CHVRCHES describe first single ‘Leave a Trace’ as their self-declared “fight song”, then their latest track offering ‘Never Ending Circles’ is their thousand-army battle cry, unleashing toxic poison vibes through dizzying indie electronica and sweet, snarking samplers. CHVRCHES return to the scene leaner and meaner than ever before, already quelling fears of the dreaded “sophomore slump” in anticipation of their second full-length record, Every Open Eye, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2012 debut The Bones of What You Believe.
‘Never Ending Circles’ takes the very best of the first CHVRCHES record and builds upon it, taking all that worked to the band’s favour and multiplying it by tenfold. The track is deliriously catchy, a deadly chorus coated with Mayberry’s tender vocals alongside undercurrents of the band’s signature sinister, biting tones. It’s a mix of the delicately aggressive tone of ‘Recover’ yet with the tenderness of ‘Lungs’, the song a delightful poison to the aural church. It sends you in a delicious and dark synthpop stupor, the listener falling victim to Mayberry’s spell of wonderful lyricism, entrancing you into an electronic delirium you’ll never want to be freed from.
Words by Cady Siregar