Music
The Bones of What You Believe
Chvrches are the latest in what seems like an endless parade of bands tapping early-Eighties synth pop for inspiration. But not many do it better. Bones is full of incisive, sweeping songs made from last-ditch emotions. Lauren Mayberry belies bright singing with raw-boned lyrics long on stalker romanticism; on “By the Throat,” she sings, “With teeth we’ve come this far/I’ll take this thing by the throat and walk away,” making for a velvet-hammer ballad Katy Perry would love to belt. Even when Chvrches are just competently mopey, their neon-Eighties visions are far from retro pose-striking.