I was up earlier than usual and have spent the morning dabbling with my favourite pastime…music. Along the way, I squeezed in another uninterrupted listen to my next album so I could bring you a weekend review.
Disc 1838 is…Vicious Creatures
Artist: Lauren Mayberry
Year of Release: 2024
What’s up with the Cover? Is Lauren Mayberry making money on the side as one of those “living statue” buskers?
Maybe she’s just looking skyward and wondering why she wore such an impractical hat. “This thing bumps into everything!”
How I Came To Know It: I read a review. Gave it a listen and was surprised to find I liked it.
How It Stacks Up: This is my only Lauren Mayberry album (and I have no Chvrches albums – more on that later) so it can’t stack up.
Ratings: 3 stars
When the lead singer of a band puts out a solo album it doesn’t always work out. In the case of Lauren Mayberry I had the opposite worry – what if it were the same as her work with Chvrches? Apart from the abhorrent and woefully deliberate misspelling of their name, I don’t actively dislike Chvrches, but nor have I ever found them shelf-worthy.
However, I am nothing if not open minded about new music, dear reader, and so, perceiving an olive branch when she did not spell her name Lavren, I gave “Vicious Creatures” a listen and hoped for the best. It turns out, I was pleasantly surprised.
I might not have taken even that first step if it weren’t for the fact that I knew from her work with Chvrches that Mayberry had a wonderful voice. I may not love their songs, but I knew Mayberry could sing. In the end, it turns out that separated from Chvrches made me like her vocals even more.
I should note at this point that this record is 100% pop music. Ear worms, easy melodies, and hook-heavy compositions are the order of the day. If you insist on music “challenging” you, or you are looking for some discordant noises to reflect the torturous struggle that is life, then this record will not be for you.
That’s not to say Mayberry doesn’t have anything worth saying – she certainly does and more on that shortly – she just doesn’t feel the need to twist the melody to prove she’s clever. Don’t get me wrong: I love a good twist but I’m also totally comfortable when an artist doesn’t feel the need to apply one.
First, to the pop fun, of which there is plenty. This record is full of earworms that will get in your head and have you humming them all day. “Punch Drunk” has a funky little beat and a chorus that is little more than the song’s title and doesn’t need anything more than that. “Change Shapes” has a similar jump that is built for driving with the top down or toodling down the sidewalk with a jaunty skip in your step. That said, Mayberry is adept at pairing these fun jumpy earworms with an undercurrent of edge. “Punch Drunk” has some sexually aggressive imagery behind all that breezy romanticism.
“Change Shapes” is no slouch either, as it explores manipulation of image for personal gain. It’s a clever about face showing the pressure put on women performers to “stay current” with their image in a way rarely if ever expected of their male counterparts. Far from rebelling against the notion, “Change Shapes” is a song about embracing the power of image and using it to get what you want. Don’t like the artifice being shoved in your face this way, audience? Hey – you’re the reason it happens.
The most heartfelt and direct song on the record is “Oh, Mother” which may also be my favourite. The theme of the song – how we relate to our mothers at various stages of our lives – is hardly new, but it is well paced and honest. When we are children, our mothers protect us, as we get older we want to rebel from them and get away, but ultimately, all we want is more quality time with them.
Nothing new here, but Mayberry’s vocal performance here is the best on the record and will 100% get you feeling sentimental in a good way. If you’re lucky enough that you still can, you will want to immediately call your mom and tell her you love her. Give in to this feeling – Lauren wants you to.
While this record doesn’t break any new ground in the history of pop music, it is a delightful listen, has no duds, and will leave you feeling in better spirits than when you started.
Best tracks: Punch Drunk, Oh Mother, Change Shapes
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