Lauren Mayberry, the lead vocalist of the Scottish synth-pop trio, Chvrches, releases her first solo album, titled “Vicious Creature”, where she explores sounds and themes that go beyond the band’s music.
To achieve this, Mayberry relied on co-writers and producers who collaborated with her on “Vicious Creature,” bringing their talent to the table. The vocalist worked with a diverse group of them, and as one might expect, the stylistic variation from song to song is quite noticeable.
This variety can be a good thing in a project, though in “Vicious Creature”, I think it makes the album not sound as unified. Each song almost seems to come from a different musical dimension, as if Mayberry were experimenting to later decide what worked and what didn’t.
For example, while the album starts with “Something in the Air”, a song not too far from Chvrches’ music, the following track, “Crocodile Tears”, is more reminiscent of Madonna’s music from the ’80s. The official video for the song even clearly alludes to the aesthetics of that era:
Mayberry comments that she was looking for a way to express her creativity, frustrated by Chvrches’ hiatus since their last album in 2021. It’s understandable then that she experiments with each song in a particular way, not necessarily considering a unified theme.
The song “Shame” has a chorus with a playful and strange vocal part, almost sounding like a bizarre polka to me, and features the following fun lyrics:
"I feel schizophrenic, how poetic,
romanticize all the pain.
How pathetic, drinking gasoline
and calling me the flame.
Baby, I'm a hypocrite,
I'll take you to the grave.
Oh, what a shame."
Producing something different from Chvrches was also a goal for “Vicious Creature.” According to her comments, the album “comes from things she couldn’t or didn’t want to write in the band, including feelings she felt as the only female member of the group.”
In “Anywhere But Dancing”, Mayberry shows us a sensitive and feminine side through a simple strummed acoustic guitar song, very far from the dynamic synth-pop of her main band.
“Punch Drunk” has an infectious sound that recalls the post-punk from the early 1980s. A fun and twisted love song that contrasts with the more serious tracks on the album, although it also seems somewhat derivative and not very original to me.
“Oh, Mother” is a sweet piano ballad that Mayberry dedicates to her mother, with highly emotional and deeply personal lyrics based on her relationship with her.
In the song “Sorry, Etc”, the vocalist unleashes a deliberately heavy sound with distorted guitars over a drum & bass beat. It’s a surprising moment, like an anomaly amidst the pop leanings of “Vicious Creature.”
One of my favorite tracks from the album is “Mantra”, which features an art-pop sound, with synthesizers that bring to mind Chvrches’ music.
I think Mayberry has created an album that, while inconsistent in establishing its own musical identity and not really offering anything new, sounding generic at times, is very well produced and pays great attention to detail. It’s also evident that she has put a lot of effort into the lyrics, which range from personal life experiences to the feminist themes she often promotes.
If you’re a fan of Chvrches, especially of its vocalist, “Vicious Creature” is worth a listen. Mayberry’s voice, and her unique way of singing, sound as good as ever. She even reveals a particularly sensitive side that she hadn’t shown in this way before.
But let’s be clear from the start that the songs on “Vicious Creature” don’t precisely follow the synth-pop stream typically associated with Chvrches, and the stylistic variation between each song can result in a sense of musical inconsistency, with Mayberry’s voice and personality being what ultimately unifies the album.
