Vicious Creature

When some singers record solo albums, the results dont sound that different from the music they make with their bands. Thats not the case with Lauren Mayberrys Vicious Creature. Mayberrys ringing vocals are as integral to Chvrches sound as their mammoth synths, but a decade after the band broke through with The Bones of What You Believe, she takes the opportunity to reconnect with herself and the music she first loved. None of it sounds much like Chvrches. Instead, Mayberry channels Fatboy Slims "Praise You" on "Sunday Best," which uses its rousing, tumbling beats to telegraph that shes going to do whatever she wants on her solo debut. On "Something in the Air," she uncovers the missing link between All Saints and Alanis Morissette. Reclaiming the bright, frothy pop sounds often dismissed by indie music fans doesnt dull Mayberrys diamond-sharp lyrics -- if anything, theyre especially potent together. On the taut synth pop of "Change Shapes," she uses the girlishness of her voice expertly as she blurs the lines between placating and manipulating ("Its your game/Now youre mad that I learned the rules"). Mayberry sounds fully fed up with being told what to do and how to be on that songs brassy flip side "Crocodile Tears" ("Maybe Im a villain/But I find it kind of thrillin/When you cry"), but its just as catchy. Some of Vicious Creatures strongest moments happen when Mayberry pushes her moods to extremes. When it comes to love and sex, shes sardonic, as on the buzzy, addictive "Shame" and the driving rock of "Punch Drunk," yet shes more vulnerable than ever on soul-baring ballads like "Anywhere But Dancing," one of the albums biggest and most affecting departures. Mayberry covers so much ground that some drastic mood swings are inevitable; the juxtaposition of "Oh Mother"s tender complexity and "Sorry, Etc."s crashing rant against internalized misogyny is especially jarring. Vicious Creature is a wilder ride than might be expected -- at times, it feels like these songs have been pent up inside Mayberry for years -- but its great to hear her own her music so fully. ~ Heather Phares