The Bones of What You Believe

The Bones of What You Believe is the debut studio album by Scottish synth-pop band Chvrches, released on 20 September 2013 by Virgin Records and Goodbye Records. Recorded between 2011 and 2013 in Glasgow,[3] the album was written, composed, and produced by the band as a collaborative effort. It was made available as both a 12-track standard edition and an 18-track special version, the latter including two extra songs, two remixes and two live videos.[4] The album was debuted with a launch party broadcast live on music streaming platform Boiler Room.[5][6]

The Bones of What You Believe
Studio album by
Chvrches
Released20 September 2013 (2013-09-20)
Recorded2011–2013
StudioAlucard, Glasgow
Genre
Length48:00
Label
ProducerChvrches
Chvrches chronology
Recover
(2013)		 The Bones of What You Believe
(2013)		 Every Open Eye
(2015)
Singles from The Bones of What You Believe
  1. "The Mother We Share"
    Released: 5 November 2012
  2. "Recover"
    Released: 6 February 2013
  3. "Gun"
    Released: 15 July 2013
  4. "Lies"
    Released: 2 December 2013
  5. "We Sink"
    Released: 28 March 2014
  6. "Under the Tide"
    Released: 30 September 2014
  7. "Tether"
    Released: 29 March 2015

The album's title derives from a lyric in the song "Strong Hand"; according to frontwoman Lauren Mayberry, it refers to the raw "creativity and effort" that served as the figurative and literal skeleton for the album.[7] Musically, The Bones of What You Believe is primarily a synth-pop and indie pop album that incorporates 1980s influences.[1][2][8]

The Bones of What You Believe received critical acclaim, with many complimenting Mayberry's songwriting and vocal performance, and Iain Cook and Martin Doherty's use of synthesisers and vocal loops. The album debuted at number nine on the UK Albums Chart, selling 12,415 copies in its first week.[9] It also reached the top 15 in Australia, Ireland and the United States, and the top 20 in Austria and Canada. The album has sold 152,514 copies in the UK and 184,000 copies in the US.[10][11] Pitchfork ranked The Bones of What You Believe at number 180 on its list of "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s".[12]

The album spawned seven singles: "The Mother We Share", "Recover", "Gun", "Lies", "We Sink", "Under the Tide" and "Tether", with the lead single becoming a moderate commercial success, charting in the top 10 in Belgium and Japan, as well as the top 40 in the United Kingdom. It also peaked at number 12 on the Alternative Songs chart in the United States.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.8/10[13]
Metacritic80/100[14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[15]
The A.V. ClubA[16]
Entertainment WeeklyB[17]
The Guardian[18]
The Independent[19]
Los Angeles Times[20]
NME8/10[21]
Pitchfork8.5/10[22]
Rolling Stone[8]
Spin8/10[23]

The Bones of What You Believe received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 80, based on 39 reviews.[14] Kyle Ryan of The A.V. Club complimented Mayberry's songwriting and wrote that Chvrches "have crafted one of the year's best albums, which means that buzz won't be dying down any time soon."[16] Joe Rivers of Clash lauded the album as "an exceptionally strong debut where every track is a potential single", noting that "[n]ot only do CHVRCHES revive the [synthpop] sound, they push it forward, with wave upon wave of shimmering synths, more hooks than an angling shop and a songwriting acumen that belies the group's relative infancy."[24] Reed Fischer of Alternative Press stated, "The heartbreaking and indignation in Lauren Mayberry's laser-precise voice makes her an imperfect protagonist in the song length dramas found throughout her band's debut", adding that "even more devastation (the building-crushing kind this time) stems from Ian Cook and Martin Doherty's sophisticated and catchy layers of synthesizers and vocal hoops."[25] Larry Fitzmaurice of Pitchfork described the album as "a seamless fusion of emotive theatrics, hook-loaded songwriting, and some of the more forward-thinking sonics in electronic music right now", and found that "the hooks on The Bones of What You Believe are indelible regardless of instrumentation, and the sound is immaculate."[22]

At Spin, Puja Patel opined that the album is "at its best on its revenge tunes", concluding, "In a mainstream landscape that's still reveling in the EDM-fueled fuck-yous of Icona Pop and Charli XCX's 'I Love It,' CHVRCHES' poppy electronic textures and bleakly lyrical brashness raises the bar."[23] Rolling Stone's Jon Dolan expressed, "Even when Chvrches are just competently mopey, their neon-Eighties visions are far from retro pose-striking."[8] Barry Nicolson of NME praised the album's "great songwriting" and felt that "while not every track has the immediacy of 'Lies' or 'Recover', there's not a weak one among them."[21] Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote, "Even on the darkest moments, such as 'Lies' or 'Science/Visions,' there's a disarming emotional directness to The Bones of What You Believe that makes it a unique, fully realized take on a style that seemed close to being played out."[15] Ally Carnwath of The Observer commented that Chvrches are "more robust and melodic than arty peers such as Grimes and Purity Ring—choruses are foregrounded, synthy jabs pummel Lauren Mayberry's vocals, beats drop from satisfying heights—but Mayberry's lyrics also carry a subversive twist of angst and obsession."[26] In a mixed review, Slant Magazine's Kevin Liedel remarked, "While the album has its fair share of sweet spots, the handful of capable melodies never quite balances out its bizarre impulses or the utter lack of thematic unity."[27]

Accolades
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
The A.V. Club The 23 Best Albums of 2013 4 [28]
Billboard 15 Best Albums of 2013 13 [29]
Consequence of Sound Top 50 Albums of 2013 4 [30]
musicOMH Top 100 Albums of 2013 23 [31]
NME 50 Best Albums of 2013 23 [32]
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2013 8 [33]
Pitchfork The Top 50 Albums of 2013 36 [34]
The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s 180 [12]
PopMatters The 75 Best Albums of 2013 8 [35]
Rolling Stone 50 Best Albums of 2013 32 [36]
Slant Magazine The 25 Best Albums of 2013 22 [37]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2013 21 [38]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Chvrches, except where noted.

No.TitleLength
1."The Mother We Share"3:12
2."We Sink"3:34
3."Gun"3:53
4."Tether"4:46
5."Lies"3:41
6."Under the Tide"4:32
7."Recover"3:45
8."Night Sky"3:51
9."Science/Visions"3:58
10."Lungs"3:02
11."By the Throat"4:09
12."You Caught the Light"5:37
Total length:48:00
iTunes Store special edition bonus tracks[39]
No.TitleLength
13."Strong Hand"3:26
14."Broken Bones"3:44
15."Gun" (KDA Remix)6:15
16."The Mother We Share" (We Were Promised Jetpacks Remix)5:58
17."Recover" (live at Village Underground) (video)4:02
18."Lies" (live at Village Underground) (video)3:59
German limited edition bonus tracks[40]
No.TitleLength
13."Strong Hand"3:26
14."The Mother We Share" (Errors RMX)3:17
Japanese edition bonus tracks[41]
No.TitleLength
13."Strong Hand"3:26
14."Broken Bones"3:44
15."Gun" (KDA Remix)6:15
16."The Mother We Share" (We Were Promised Jetpacks Remix)5:58
17."The Mother We Share" (Blood Diamonds Remix)3:56
18."The Mother We Share" (Kowton's Feeling Fragile Remix)5:01
Target deluxe edition bonus tracks[42]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Recover" (Alucard Session) 4:11
14."The Mother We Share" (Alucard Session) 3:17
15."Gun" (Alucard Session) 4:24
16."Tightrope"
3:28
Asian deluxe edition bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Strong Hand" 3:26
2."Broken Bones" 3:44
3."ZVVL" 3:12
4."Now Is Not the Time" 3:45
5."Recover" (Alucard Session) 4:12
6."The Mother We Share" (Alucard Session) 3:18
7."Gun" (Alucard Session) 4:25
8."Tightrope" (Alucard Session) 3:30
9."Recover" (Cid Rim Remix) 5:48
10."It's Not Right but It's Okay"
3:46
11."Recover" (Claire Remix) 4:13
12."Lies" (Tourist Remix) 6:32
13."Recover" (Kingdom Remix) 3:20
14."Tether" (Junior Sanchez Remix) 6:23
15."Gun" (KDA Remix) 6:16
16."The Mother We Share" (Blood Diamonds Remix) 3:57
17."Recover" (KDA Remix) 6:17
18."Under the Tide" (radio version) 4:33

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Bones of What You Believe.[43]

  • Chvrches – production (all tracks); mixing at Wall 2 Wall Recording, Chicago (tracks 4, 11)
  • Jonny Scott – drums (tracks 3, 8)
  • Rich Costey – mixing at Eldorado Recording Studios, Burbank, California (tracks 1–3, 5–10, 12)
  • Chris Kasych – Pro Tools (tracks 1–3, 5–10, 12)
  • Martin Cooke – Pro Tools (tracks 1–3, 5–10, 12)
  • Bo Hill – mix assistance (tracks 1–3, 5–10, 12)
  • Eric Isip – mix assistance (tracks 1–3, 5–10, 12)
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering at Gateway Mastering, Portland, Maine
  • Amy Burrows – design

Charts

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[64] Gold 152,514[10]
United States — 184,000[11]

Release history
Region Date Format Edition Label Ref.
Australia 20 September 2013 CD Standard Liberation [65]
Digital download
  • Standard
  • special
 [66][67]
Germany CD Limited Vertigo Berlin [68]
LP Standard [69]
Digital download
  • Limited
  • special
 [70][71]
Ireland CD Standard
[72]
Digital download
  • Standard
  • special
 [73][74]
France 23 September 2013 Mercury [75][76]
Italy Universal [77][78]
United Kingdom
  • CD
  • LP
 Standard
  • Virgin
  • Goodbye
 [79][80]
Digital download
  • Standard
  • special
 [81][82]
United States 24 September 2013
  • CD
  • LP
 Standard Glassnote [83][84]
Digital download
  • Standard
  • special
 [85][86]
Japan Hostess [87][88]
25 September 2013 CD Standard [41]
France 7 October 2013
  • CD
  • LP
 Mercury [89][90]
Italy 15 October 2013 CD Universal [91]

References
  1. Shepherd, Sam (20 September 2013). "Chvrches – The Bones Of What You Believe". musicOMH. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  2. Samach, Gabriel (11 October 2013). "Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  3. Duncan, Bryan (1 June 2012). "On the Radar – No 207: CHURCHES". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 26 March 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  4. "Chvrches unveil tracklisting for debut album 'The Bones Of What You Believe'". NME. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  5. Set, The Field (15 October 2013). "[VIDEO] CHVRCHES Boiler Room Album Launch Party". Gotta Dance Dirty. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  6. "CHVRCHES Album Launch Party - BOILER ROOM". boilerroom.tv. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  7. Lipshutz, Jason (16 September 2013). "CHVRCHES' Hype Dreams: Can Blog Buzz Produce A Hit Album?". Billboard. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  8. Dolan, Jon (24 September 2013). "The Bones of What You Believe". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  9. Jones, Alan (30 September 2013). "Official Charts Analysis: Kings Of Leon LP sells 71k in week one". Music Week. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  10. "Chvrches confirm new album release date, drop My Enemy single". Music Week. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  11. "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. Archived from the original on 3 September 2015.
  12. "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s". Pitchfork. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  13. "The Bones Of What You Believe by Chvrches reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  14. "Reviews for The Bones of What You Believe by Chvrches". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  15. Phares, Heather. "The Bones of What You Believe – Chvrches". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  16. Ryan, Kyle (24 September 2013). "Chvrches: The Bones Of What You Believe". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  17. Catucci, Nick; Anderson, Kyle; Rahman, Ray (27 September 2013). "Albums: October 4, 2013". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  18. Gibsone, Harriet (19 September 2013). "Chvrches: The Bones of What You Believe – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  19. Williams, Holly (22 September 2013). "Album review: Chvrches, The Bones Of What You Believe (Virgin)". The Independent. Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  20. Brown, August (23 September 2013). "Album reviews: Chvrches' 'The Bones of What You Believe' album". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  21. Nicolson, Barry (20 September 2013). "Chvrches – 'The Bones Of What You Believe'". NME. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  22. Fitzmaurice, Larry (25 September 2013). "Chvrches: The Bones of What You Believe". Pitchfork. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  23. Patel, Puja (24 September 2013). "CHVRCHES' 'The Bones of What You Believe' Delivers Dark Pop With a Smile". Spin. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  24. Rivers, Joe (12 September 2013). "CHVRCHES – The Bones Of What You Believe". Clash. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  25. Fischer, Reed (October 2013). "Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe". Alternative Press. No. 303. p. 82. ISSN 1065-1667.
  26. Carnwath, Ally (22 September 2013). "Chvrches: The Bones of What You Believe – review". The Observer. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  27. Liedel, Kevin (23 September 2013). "Review: Chvrches, The Bones of What You Believe". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  28. "The 23 best albums of 2013". The A.V. Club. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  29. "15 Best Albums of 2013: Critics' Picks". Billboard. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  30. "Top 50 Albums of 2013". Consequence of Sound. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  31. "musicOMH's Top 100 Albums Of 2013: 50–6". musicOMH. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  32. "NME's 50 Best Albums Of 2013". NME. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  33. "The 50 Best Albums of 2013". Paste. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  34. "The Top 50 Albums of 2013". Pitchfork. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  35. "The 75 Best Albums of 2013". PopMatters. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  36. "50 Best Albums of 2013". Rolling Stone. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  37. "The 25 Best Albums of 2013". Slant Magazine. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  38. "The 50 Best Albums Of 2013". Stereogum. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  39. "The Bones of What You Believe (Special Edition) by CHVRCHES". iTunes Store. United Kingdom. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  40. "The Bones of What You Believe (Limited Edition)". Amazon (in German). Germany. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  41. ザ・ボーンズ・オブ・ワット・ユー・ビリーヴ [The Bones of What You Believe]. Amazon (in Japanese). Japan. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  42. "Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe (Deluxe Edition) – Only at Target". Target. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  43. The Bones of What You Believe (liner notes). Chvrches. Virgin Records. 2013. CDV 3116.CS1 maint: others (link)
  44. "Australiancharts.com – Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  45. "Austriancharts.at – Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  46. "Ultratop.be – Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  47. "Ultratop.be – Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  48. "Chvrches Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  49. "Dutchcharts.nl – Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  50. "Offiziellecharts.de – Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  51. "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 39, 2013". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  52. ザ・ボーンズ・オブ・ワット・ユー・ビリーヴ | チャーチズ [The Bones of What You Believe | Chvrches] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  53. "Charts.nz – Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  54. "Norwegiancharts.com – Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  55. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  56. "Swisscharts.com – Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  57. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  58. "Chvrches Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  59. "Chvrches Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  60. "Chvrches Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  61. "Chvrches Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  62. "Independent Albums – Year-End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  63. "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2014". Billboard. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  64. "British album certifications – Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe". British Phonographic Industry. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type The Bones of What You Believe in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  65. "CHVRCHES Store – The Bones Of What You Believe". Getmusic. Australia. Archived from the original on 8 October 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  66. "The Bones of What You Believe by CHVRCHES". iTunes Store. Australia. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  67. "The Bones of What You Believe (Special Edition) by CHVRCHES". iTunes Store. Australia. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  68. "CHVRCHES | The Bones Of What You Believe (Limited Edition)" (in German). Universal Music Germany. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  69. "The Bones of What You Believe [Vinyl LP]". Amazon (in German). Germany. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  70. "The Bones Of What You Believe [Explicit]: Chvrches: MP3-Downloads". Amazon (in German). Germany. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  71. "The Bones of What You Believe by CHVRCHES". iTunes Store. Germany. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  72. "Chvrches – Bones Of What You Believe". Tower Records Ireland. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  73. "The Bones of What You Believe by CHVRCHES". iTunes Store. Ireland. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  74. "The Bones of What You Believe (Special Edition) by CHVRCHES". iTunes Store. Ireland. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  75. "The Bones Of What You Believe [Explicit]: Chvrches: Téléchargements MP3 (Standard)". Amazon (in French). France. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  76. "The Bones Of What You Believe [Explicit]: Chvrches: Téléchargements MP3 (Special)". Amazon (in French). France. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  77. "The Bones Of What You Believe [Explicit]: Chvrches: Musica Digitale (Standard)". Amazon (in Italian). Italy. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  78. "The Bones Of What You Believe [Explicit]: Chvrches: Musica Digitale (Special)". Amazon (in Italian). Italy. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  79. "The Bones Of What You Believe [Digipack] by CHVRCHES". Amazon. United Kingdom. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  80. "The Bones Of What You Believe [VINYL] by CHVRCHES". Amazon. United Kingdom. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  81. "The Bones Of What You Believe (Explicit)". 7digital. United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  82. "The Bones Of What You Believe (Special Edition) [Explicit] [+video]: Chvrches: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. United Kingdom. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  83. "Chvrches: Bones of What You Believe (CD)". Amazon. United States. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  84. "Chvrches: Bones of What You Believe (Vinyl)". Amazon. United States. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  85. "The Bones of What You Believe by CHVRCHES". iTunes Store. United States. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  86. "The Bones of What You Believe (Special Edition) by CHVRCHES". iTunes Store. United States. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  87. "The Bones of What You Believe by CHVRCHES". iTunes Store. Japan. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  88. "The Bones of What You Believe (Special Edition) by CHVRCHES". iTunes Store. Japan. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  89. "The bones of what you believe – Digipack – Chvrches – CD album" (in French). Fnac. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  90. "The bones of what you believe – Chvrches – Vinyle album" (in French). Fnac. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  91. "Chvrches – The Bones of What You Believe". IBS.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.