#warningcall

Producers Iain Cook and Martin Doherty create perfect sonic environments for CHRVCHES frontwoman Lauren Mayberry's melodies to thrive, a voice and articulation which has become the cornerstone of a sound that is somehow 100% Scotland, 100% anthemic and 100% its own.The ethereal mix of curious analog signals, pulsing kick/snare rhythms and atmospheric landscapes have become a recipe for success in the niche world of female led electronic pop acts (see MS MR, London Grammar and Purity Ring). However CHVRCHES have managed to find themselves at the top of the pile, and "Warning Call" only furthers the distance between them and the rest... particularly considering that this is a one off for a video game soundtrack "Mirror's Edge Catalyst". 

The nature of these songs for any artist tends to lend itself to a slight breakaway or experimentation, often leading to mixed results (”Equinox” by Death Cab for Cutie for the Twilight films might be an example). The band have stuck to their guns on this one though, and the result is a very good song. Mayberry took to task of putting herself in the central protagonist's shoes: Faith, a super athletic street-savvy woman of the dystopian future, who is up to some sinister shit presumably all in the name of the greater good. “And I don’t talk of any time I ever believed in the unknown” she sings triumphantly, reflecting the empowered nature of the character but with the ever present personal touch.

Funnily enough, you could slot close to any previous CHRVCHES track in here and it would somewhat thematically fit the bill. The song itself has a wonderfully understated chorus, elevated by Mayberry who sounds like she's leaving the planet on a giant spaceship with nothing but optimism, all the while tipping a hat to her experiences on Earth without getting too caught up in the moment - "it's a memory" she repeats as the song starts to drift away. It's a beautiful song, and would come close to being one of the strongest tracks on 2015's sophomore "Every Open Eye".