After spending a cumulative two decades of her life in a band, CHVRCHES front-woman Lauren Mayberry has released her first solo album, Vicious Creature. While tackling themes of sexuality and empowerment from a profoundly personal perspective, the project refuses to be pigeonholed into a definitive sound. It is composed of equal parts electro pop, rock and stripped down vocal ballads, allowing Mayberry to give each track its own identity while still creating a project that feels cohesive.
Cultivating this kind of project is no easy task, but Mayberry says it was empowering to trust her own intuition to this degree.
That’s ultimately why you start making things – because you felt a feeling, and you wanted to articulate that somehow. I think it was important for me to relearn that kind of independence and recognize what I bring to any table I choose to sit at.
Lauren Mayberry
Suffice to say, this project brings a lot to the table. Tracks like “Something In The Air” and “Sunday Best” perfectly showcase Mayberry’s ability to craft infectious, full-bodied pop tracks that make you want to move. They are two of the most straightforward presentations of pop on the album, but they are by no means cut-and-dry pop throwaways. Each track tackles the deeply personal and existential themes that are at the core of the album, but they present these ideas through the most widely accessible medium on the project.
Tracks like “Shame” and “Sorry, Etc” delve into the more harsh or crunchy punk sounds that occupy the other end of the album’s sonic spectrum, with the ladder sounding like it should be on a Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtrack in all the best ways. These tracks are unapologetic in their lyrical delivery and juxtapose Mayberry’s soprano vocals with their gritty instrumentals in a very intentional, engaging way.
“Change Shapes” is a standout from the album. The guitars are almost boxy in the opening verse before transitioning into a floaty and graceful production style on the chorus. On a track that discusses her experiences changing herself to fit into different boxes for her partner, Mayberry is able to masterfully reflect her lyrical content through her production.
Mayberry wanted to do more than just craft a strong solo album musically, putting a great deal of effort into the album’s aesthetic as well.
“Especially when it came to the visuals for the album, I knew I wanted them to be a part of the storytelling in a way I haven’t been able to do previously…. I wanted to have an ownership over my physical self and how I was involved in the visual part of the storytelling, so I felt like I was in the driving seat of the aesthetic rather than fitting into a landscape that wasn’t really for me.”
Lauren Mayberry
Aside from the album’s release, Mayberry is currently on a North American Headline Tour. Tickets for the tour can be purchased here, and make sure you get them before it’s too late!
Whether you want to be best prepared for the show or you just want to experience Mayberry’s killer solo debut for yourself, Vicious Creature is available wherever you get your music now!
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