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Dec 12, 2024 Web Exclusive By Andy Von Pip

Lauren Mayberry’s Vicious Creature marks a compelling recalibration for an artist who has spent the past decade as one of the most captivating voices in modern synth-pop. As the frontwoman of CHVRCHES, her crystalline vocals became synonymous with glittering ’80s-tinged anthems. While she hadn’t reached a creative impasse with CHVRCHES, Mayberry certainly felt a desire to explore music on her own terms.

Rather than a complete reinvention, Vicious Creature expands on Mayberry’s talent for producing memorable, evocative pop songs. Tracks like “Crocodile Tears,” “Shame,” “Mantra,” “Change Shapes,” and the glittering, majestic “Sunday Best” pulse with vibrant synths and soaring melodies. Yet beneath their polished surfaces lie incisive explorations of identity, hypocrisy, and resilience, as Mayberry tackles issues close to her heart with clarity, emotional intelligence and raw honesty.

There are some truly standout moments. “Something in the Air,” a track shaped by her bafflement at the grip conspiracy theories hold over certain people, with an absolutely towering chorus, reveals itself to be as good as anything she’s previously produced. While Mayberry is clearly adept at crafting sophisticated synth-pop anthems, some of the album’s most poignant highlights come from its quieter, more reflective moments. “Anywhere But Dancing” is an acoustic marvel, its understated arrangement amplifying the emotional weight of Mayberry’s reflections on the shifting nature of love and connection. “Oh, Mother” delves into familial complexities with disarming honesty, peeling back layers to reveal raw emotion. And these stripped-down moments of quiet beauty feel genuinely like her most personal work to date.

Vicious Creature is not an album of extremes or wild experimental detours. Instead, it thrives on subtlety and balance. Mayberry moves effortlessly between light and dark, crafting a space where vulnerability and strength coexist. With this album, she steps confidently out of CHVRCHES’ shadow, firmly establishing herself as a unique talent and compelling voice in her own right, with an exciting future ahead. (www.laurenmayberry.co.uk)

Author rating: 8/10