Screen Violence
A dark room with red light glowing, a TV is plugged in with a hand touching over window blinds.
Studio album by
Chvrches
Released27 August 2021 (2021-08-27)
Studio
  • Glasgow, Scotland
  • Los Angeles, United States
Genre
Length42:53
Label
ProducerChvrches
Chvrches chronology
Hansa Session EP
(2018) 		Screen Violence
(2021)
Singles from Screen Violence
  1. "He Said She Said"
    Released: 19 April 2021
  2. "How Not to Drown"
    Released: 2 June 2021
  3. "Good Girls"
    Released: 12 July 2021
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic81/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The A.V. ClubB+[4]
Exclaim!8/10[5]
The Line of Best Fit7/10[6]
Paste6.1/10[7]
Pitchfork7.2/10[8]
PopMatters8/10[1]
Slant Magazine[9]

Screen Violence is the fourth studio album by Scottish synth-pop band Chvrches. It was released on 27 August 2021 through EMI Records in the UK and Glassnote Records in the US.[10] Lead single "He Said She Said" was released on 19 April.[11] The album was announced alongside the second single, "How Not to Drown", a collaboration with Robert Smith, lead singer of the Cure.[12]

The album was promoted with a North American tour from November to December 2021.[13][14]

Background and recording

The album began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as ideas shared over video calls and audio-sharing programs. It was produced by the band and recorded between Glasgow and Los Angeles.[15] Frontwoman Lauren Mayberry said it felt "freeing initially" for the album to start out as something "escapist" but that the lyrics ended up being "definitely still personal".[10] The album title came from an idea for the name of the band, but was then adapted for the title of the album due to the theme of violence "on screen, by screens and through screens – with songs addressing feelings of loneliness, disillusionment and fear, among other emotions".[12] Martin Doherty called the album title "a bit more literal [than just a concept]. When we were making the record, it was like half of our lives were lived through screens."[12]

The single "How Not to Drown" evolved from a piano and drum demo recorded by Doherty and was written during a time when he was dealing with "crippling depression and anxiety".[16]

Screen Violence is also the first Chvrches studio album to not have a track where Martin Doherty provides the main vocals, though Doherty does sing the bridge on "Violent Delights".

Track listing

All tracks are written by Iain Cook, Martin Doherty, and Lauren Mayberry; "How Not to Drown" co-written by Robert Smith

Screen Violence track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Asking for a Friend"5:05
2."He Said She Said"3:09
3."California"4:08
4."Violent Delights"5:20
5."How Not to Drown" (with Robert Smith)5:31
6."Final Girl"4:30
7."Good Girls"3:19
8."Lullabies"3:45
9."Nightmares"4:34
10."Better If You Don't"3:32
Total length:42:53
Japanese edition (bonus track)[17]
No.TitleLength
11."How Not to Drown" (Robert Smith Remix)7:07
Screen Violence (Director's Cut) bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Killer"3:20
12."Screaming"3:34
13."Bitter End"4:38

Personnel

Chvrches

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Screen Violence
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[18] 6
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[19] 19
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[20] 19
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[21] 49
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[22] 74
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[23] 71
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[24] 91
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[25] 15
Irish Albums (OCC)[26] 4
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[27] 46
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[28] 65
Scottish Albums (OCC)[29] 1
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[30] 52
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[31] 19
UK Albums (OCC)[32] 4
US Billboard 200[33] 31

References

  1. ^ a b c Piatkowski, Peter (23 August 2021). "Chvrches' 'Screen Violence' Reaches for the Heart, Mind, and Feet". PopMatters. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Screen Violence by Chvrches Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  3. ^ Phares, Heather (26 August 2021). "Screen Violence – Chvrches". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  4. ^ McLevy, Alex (27 August 2021). "Chvrches' album Screen Violence finds a newly mature band rediscovering its strengths". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  5. ^ Blinov, Paul (24 August 2021). "CHVRCHES Find New Vitality in Analyzing Modern Society's 'Screen Violence'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  6. ^ Oleinik, Marie (24 August 2021). "Chvrches settle confidently into their pop soundscapes on Screen Violence". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  7. ^ Sharples, Grant (23 August 2021). "CHVRCHES' Screen Violence Does Little to Refine or Evolve Their Sound". Paste. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  8. ^ St. Asaph, Katherine (2 September 2021). "Chvrches: Screen Violence Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  9. ^ Mason, Eric (23 August 2021). "Review: Chvrches's Screen Violence Transforms Hopelessness Into Inspiration". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  10. ^ a b Chelosky, Danielle (2 June 2021). "Chvrches Announce New Album 'Screen Violence,' Release Robert Smith Collaboration". Stereogum. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  11. ^ Martoccio, Angie (19 April 2021). "Chvrches Return With 'He Said She Said'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  12. ^ a b c Krol, Charlotte (2 June 2021). "Chvrches announce new album 'Screen Violence', share 'How Not To Drown' with The Cure's Robert Smith". NME. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  13. ^ Benitez-Eves, Tina (3 June 2021). "Chvrches Reveal Fourth Album 'Screen Violence,' Share "How Not to Drown" Video with The Cure's Robert Smith". American Songwriter. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  14. ^ Gomez, Jade (2 June 2021). "CHVRCHES Announce Screen Violence, Share New Single and Tour Dates". Paste. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  15. ^ Ackroyd, Stephen (3 June 2021). "CHVRCHES have announced the details of their fourth studio album, 'Screen Violence'". Dork. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  16. ^ Scarlett, Elizabeth (3 June 2021). "Chvrches announce new album Screen Violence and release new single with The Cure's Robert Smith". Louder. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  17. ^ "BEATINK.COM Cavalcade". Beatink.com. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  18. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Chvrches – Screen Violence" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  20. ^ "Ultratop.be – Chvrches – Screen Violence" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  21. ^ "Ultratop.be – Chvrches – Screen Violence" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  22. ^ "Chvrches Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  23. ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 35.Týden 2021 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  24. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Chvrches – Screen Violence" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  25. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Chvrches – Screen Violence" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  26. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  27. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums 2021/09/01". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  28. ^ "チャーチズ" (in Japanese). Oricon. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  29. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  30. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Chvrches – Screen Violence". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  31. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Chvrches – Screen Violence". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  32. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  33. ^ "Chvrches Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
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