Lauren Mayberry – Vicious Creature

Lauren Mayberry, famously known as the voice behind indie synth-pop band Chvrches, spreads her wings and releases a solo record of her own. In Vicious Creature, she discusses her struggles and problems within the music industry, feminism and reconciling her creative inspirations towards fallen idols. This results in a very interesting dynamic lyrically and musically, with honest and cynical lyricism dripping in bubble gum synth and indie-pop production.

Starting strong, Something in the Air questions pretentious philosophical ponderings, especially within the music space. She criticises trends of performative deep-thinking, superstitions, conspiracy theories and cynicism in everyday life and creating art, highlighting how the loudest mouths have the most to say, and how the superficial notion of it all can push other people away. The rhythm is very staccato and her delivery is soft and tender, as if talking to a child, adding further to the irony. This is immediately followed by the girly pop tunes of Crocodile Tears and Shame. The latter touches on artistic integrity and the concept of “faking it ‘till you make it”. The topic is very all-encompassing for someone like her who came into her teens during the polarising period of the late 2000s, with the kind of music she then listened to at that time having influenced her artistry. She describes the song as, “You are what you eat and it’s the taste that keeps me tame,” a concept very similar to Good Girl from Chvrches’s most recent album Screen Violence, wherein she writes about the bands she once admired and realises their problematic tendencies.

There are only a few acoustic numbers in this record, the first being Anywhere But Dancing, which discusses the loss of romance. Mayberry equates the intimate and simple gesture of dancing to what it’s like when still being present and in love within the relationship. She ties this metaphor together in the bridge: “I don’t know what’s worse / The kindness or the curse / Of dancing on my own.” The second acoustic number is Oh, Mother, following the journey of a daughter’s relationship with her mother as she grows older and navigates the shift from being a helpless child to an adult wanting her independence. It’s very visual, constantly evoking warm images of childhood memorabilia of school prizes and birthday balloons, contrasting with the pictures of worn-out flats and alcohol. This striking juxtaposition is a heavy reminder of how quickly time passes and how a person’s life changes. Poignant and beautiful, Oh, Mother expresses the progression of love and distance between mother and daughter, powerfully finishing on a very sad note.

The second half of Vicious Creature doesn’t live up as well to the hypnotising flare of the first six tracks. But there are still some gems hidden in this section, particularly Mantra, which covers male and female dynamics, of dominant and submissive divides reflective of women’s place within the music industry compared to men. She outlines the easy success of her male peers, describing her voice as a woman, “a voice that never could quite command respect,” and infers wanting to experience the same power men have by asserting, “You can keep your body / I just want your place in the world.” Mayberry closes the album with Are You Awake, another slow entry that cuts through the bravado of the preceding songs. Here, she reminds listeners there’s more to her than just criticism and cynicism; she’s just another person experiencing heartbreak, growth and the constant chase for that human connection. She underlines this through visual cues of weddings, children and so-called happy endings, confessing, “Some feelings don’t fade away with space and time.”

While there are some brilliant tracks and interesting topics explored in Vicious Creature, there are very few standouts overall, especially in the second half of the tracklist. While not truly separate in sound and thematic exploration from Chvrches, Mayberry proves that she has ideas and aesthetics outside of the band that are truly worth exploring. This debut album is an excellent experiment into her potential as a solo artist.

Mae Trumata
Image: Charlotte Patmore

Vicious Creature is released on 6^th December 2024. For further information or to order the album visit Lauren Mayberry’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Something in the Air here: