If you’re like me, every time I see this band’s name in print, I say to myself “Cha-ver-is.” That’s something they’ll have to deal with for the rest of their career. But hey, it gets one to remember the name of the group, so score one for CHVRCHES for good marketing. At least they didn’t go with the name “Oneders”
CHVRCHES started in 2011 and, in a way, haven’t altered their sound all that much since then. They specialize in a brand of synth-pop that stresses strong hooks in the chorus, an effective use of electronics, and youngish sounding vocals from Lauren Mayberry (she sounds and looks 15, but is actually 30-years-old). Sticking to a formula that fans have come to expect can be a two-edged sword. One the one hand, there’s the risk of sounding trapped by a certain era and sound — in other words, sounding stale. On the other hand, a signature sound does help in building a fan base by creating songs that, yes, have a sound-alike quality, but also gives fans a stable starting point to form their bond with them.
“Get Out” doesn’t pave new ground for CHVRCHES, but at this point in their career, they really don’t have to. So the verse, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus structure of the song is something we’ve been conditioned to expect, and this song does just that. But you know what? It’s a strong single that shows the band hasn’t lost their ability to craft good pop songs. If “Get Out” is any indication of what’s to come from the full album, then I think CHVRCHES will have a lot of mainstream success with their upcoming release.