Every Open Eye is the second studio album by Scottish synthpop band Chvrches, released on 25 September 2015.[3] Self-produced, it is the band's follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut, The Bones of What You Believe (2013).[4] The album title comes from a lyric in the song "Clearest Blue".[5]
Recording and production[]
Chvrches began work on their second album in January 2015, six weeks after returning from touring to promote The Bones of What You Believe.[6] Recording took place in a studio in a basement flat owned by Cook,[7] refurbished with the advance for the new album.[6] The trio would write a rough instrumental, Mayberry would pen lyrics and they would then put together a demo track.[8] The band wrote around thirty demos in all.[9] Producing all the music themselves,[10] they recorded 21 tracks in total. The recording process took about five months, with the band working six-hour days, five days a week.[9] The band were approached about the prospect of co-writing songs for the album, but refused; Doherty explained: "As we were making this album, a bunch of people offered to write with us, but we wanted to be an actual band."[6] Cook noted that they wanted the album "to sound and to feel spontaneous".[7]
"Clearest Blue", the seventeenth track recorded for the album, "came to define how the rest sounds", according to Doherty: "big and happy and sad and a banger".[9] The group determined democratically which tracks would be included on the album, and were in disagreement over inclusion of "Afterglow". On the final day of recording they slowed it down, removed the drum track and re-recorded the vocal track.[9] The vocals were recorded in a single take, with various background noises left in. Witnessing Mayberry's performance, Doherty was "quite emotional", and they made the decision that the track would close the album.[10]
Release[]
On 15 July 2015 at Ottawa Bluesfest, the band debuted the songs "Clearest Blue", "Leave a Trace" and "Make Them Gold" before a live audience.[11]
On 17 July 2015, the band released the first single, "Leave a Trace", along with the formal announcement of the album's title, release date, cover art and track listing.[12]
On 12 August 2015, the band released the second single, "Never Ending Circles."
On 10 September 2015, the band released the third single, "Clearest Blue."
On 20 September 2015, the album debuted on NPR First Listen.[13][14]
Every Open Eye was released on 25 September 2015.
Critical reception[]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77/100[15] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [16]
|
| Alternative Press |  [17]
|
| The A.V. Club | A[18] |
| Billboard | [19]
|
| NME | [20]
|
| Pitchfork Media | 7.7/10[21] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[1] |
| Rolling Stone | [22]
|
| Slant Magazine | [2]
|
| Spin | 7/10[23] |
Every Open Eye has received very positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a "weighted average" rating out of 100 from selected independent ratings and reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a Metascore of 77/100, based on 30 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[15]
Billboard's Carl Wilson's four out of five star review claims: "the sound is cleaner -- there are fewer of the stop-start hitches and processed-vocal effects from Bones -- the beats are more resounding, and the choruses often even more explosive."[19] Emily Mackay of the NME praised the album, calling it "a record like a deep gulp of cold air on a clear, bright morning after."[20] Heather Phares of AllMusic rated the album four out of five stars, writing, "even if Every Open Eye is cheerier-sounding than The Bones of What You Believe, its emotions are just as complex."[16]
Track listing[]
| Standard edition | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 1. | "Never Ending Circles" | 3:06 | ||||||||
| 2. | "Leave a Trace" | 3:57 | ||||||||
| 3. | "Keep You on My Side" | 4:25 | ||||||||
| 4. | "Make Them Gold" | 3:51 | ||||||||
| 5. | "Clearest Blue" | 3:53 | ||||||||
| 6. | "High Enough to Carry You Over" | 3:39 | ||||||||
| 7. | "Empty Threat" | 4:04 | ||||||||
| 8. | "Down Side of Me" | 5:10 | ||||||||
| 9. | "Playing Dead" | 3:35 | ||||||||
| 10. | "Bury It" | 3:08 | ||||||||
| 11. | "Afterglow" | 3:14 | ||||||||
Total length: |
42:02 | |||||||||
| Special/Deluxe edition[24] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 12. | "Get Away" | 4:40 | ||||||||
| 13. | "Follow You" | 3:54 | ||||||||
| 14. | "Bow Down" | 4:38 | ||||||||
Total length: |
55:14 | |||||||||
| German Amazon edition[25] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 12. | "Up in Arms" | 5:08 | ||||||||
Total length: |
47:10 | |||||||||
| German Amazon limited deluxe edition[26] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 12. | "Up in Arms" | 5:08 | ||||||||
| 13. | "Get Away" | 4:40 | ||||||||
| 14. | "Follow You" | 3:54 | ||||||||
| 15. | "Bow Down" | 4:38 | ||||||||
Total length: |
60:22 | |||||||||
| Target exclusive edition[27] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 12. | "Up in Arms" | 5:08 | ||||||||
| 13. | "Get Away" | 4:40 | ||||||||
| 14. | "Follow You" | 3:54 | ||||||||
| 15. | "Bow Down" | 4:38 | ||||||||
| 16. | "Leave a Trace" (Live at Pitchfork Music Festival) | 3:57 | ||||||||
| 17. | "Clearest Blue" (Live at Pitchfork Music Festival) | 5:20 | ||||||||
Total length: |
69:39 | |||||||||
| Japanese edition[28] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 12. | "Get Away" | 4:40 | ||||||||
| 13. | "Follow You" | 3:54 | ||||||||
| 14. | "Bow Down" | 4:38 | ||||||||
| 15. | "Leave A Trace" (Four Tet Remix) | 6:49 | ||||||||
Total length: |
62:03 | |||||||||
| Extended edition[29] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 12. | "Get Away" | 4:40 | ||||||||
| 13. | "Follow You" | 3:54 | ||||||||
| 14. | "Bow Down" | 4:38 | ||||||||
| 15. | "Warning Call" (Theme From Mirror's Edge Catalyst) | 4:32 | ||||||||
| 16. | "Bury It" (featuring Hayley Williams) | 3:08 | ||||||||
| 17. | "Leave A Trace" (Four Tet Remix) | |||||||||
| 18. | "Empty Threat" (Big Wild Remix) | 3:28 | ||||||||
| 19. | "Clearest Blue" (Gryffin Remix) | 4:19 | ||||||||
Total length: |
82:39 | |||||||||
Personnel[]
Credits adapted from AllMusic.[30]
- Amy Burrows — art direction, design
- Chvrches — composition, mixing, performance, production
- Danny Clinch — band photography
- Bob Ludwig — mastering
- David Simpson — engineer
- Mark "Spike" Stent — mixing
- Geoff Swan — mixing assistant
- Jez Tozer — cover photo
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fitzgerald, Colin (22 September 2015). CHVRCHES: Every Open Eye. PopMatters.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rainis, James (24 September 2015). Chvrches: Every Open Eye. Slant Magazine.
- ↑ CHVRCHES - Timeline Photos.
- ↑ The Bones of What You Believe – Chvrches. Metacritic. CBS Interactive.
- ↑ CHVRCHES - Clearest Blue (lyric video) - Youtube.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Keeping it Unreal: In the Studio with Chvrches. Pitchfork Media (22 June 2015).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Nicholson, Rebecca (20 August 2015). "Chvrches: ‘We could have sold 200,000 more records if we hid us boys out of view’". The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/aug/20/chvrches-we-could-have-sold-200000-more-records-if-we-hid-the-boys-out-of-view. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ↑ Clear Eyes: How CHVRCHES Learned To Ignore The Hype, And Haters, For Their Big Second Album (24 September 2015).
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Chvrches Interview: The Synth-Pop Heartbreakers On The "Avalanche Of Sound" On Their New Album (16 July 2015).
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Savage, Mike (26 September 2015). "Chvrches interview: 'We won't live in fear'". BBC News Online. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34340401.
- ↑ Claymore, Gabriella (16 July 2015). Watch Chvrches Debut "Leave A Trace,""Make Them Gold," & "Clearest Blue" at Ottawa Bluesfest. Stereogum.
- ↑ Chvrches – "Leave A Trace" - Stereogum.
- ↑ Snapes, Laura. First Listen: Chvrches, 'Every Open Eye'. Retrieved on September 25, 2015.
- ↑ Chvrches Stream Every Open Eye.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Reviews for Every Open Eye by Chvrches. 'Metacritic'. CBS Interactive.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Phares, Heather. Every Open Eye - Chvrches — Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards. AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved on September 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Chvrches – Every Open Eye". Alternative Press: 98. October 2015.
- ↑ Ryan, Kyle (25 September 2015). Chvrches is poised for big things on its excellent 2nd album. The A.V. Club. The Onion.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Wilson, Carl (14 September 2015). Chvrches Doubles Down on Their Influential Synthpop Sound With ‘Every Open Eye’: Album Review. Prometheus Global Media.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Mackay, Emily (16 September 2015). Chvrches – 'Every Open Eye'. NME. Time Inc. UK.
- ↑ Cohen, Ian (28 September 2015). Chvrches: Every Open Eye. Pitchfork Media.
- ↑ Every Open Eye (1 October 2015).
- ↑ Weber, Theon (24 September 2015). Review: CHVRCHES Explore the Pleasures and Limitations of Synth-Pop on 'Every Open Eye'. Spin. SpinMedia.
- ↑ Chvrches - Every Open Eye - Special Edition (iTunes).
- ↑ Chvrches - Every Open Eye - German Amazon Edition.
- ↑ Chvrches - Every Open Eye - German Amazon Limited Deluxe Edition.
- ↑ Chvrches - Every Open Eye - Target Exclusive.
- ↑ CD Japan : Every Open Eye Chvrches CD Album.
- ↑ iTunes Store: Every Open Eye (Extended Edition).
- ↑ Chvrches - Every Open Eye album credits. AllMusic.
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