CHVRCHES leader Lauren Mayberry called “Leave a Trace” the “snidest track” on upcoming album Every Eye Open. Buried somewhere in the popcorn chimes and frolicked beats of the electropop outfit’s new single is a bridge burner, a taste of vitriol within layers of synthesizer pop.
But you probably couldn’t tell on a cursory glance. “Leave a Trace” is pretty traditional by CHVRCHES’ standards. The production isn’t as dense or as immediate — while The Bones of What You Believe saw CHVRCHES manipulate stereo and synth into dives and dashes, “Leave a Trace” is a steadier delivery that never reaches for the same dynamic heights.
Yet as those dynamics taper away, “Leave a Trace” still flutters with CHVRCHES usual charms. Synthesizers still crackle and ring between the verses and choruses, while Mayberry still stitches together sparks and cracks into a Depeche Mode-lite earworm. It’s simple, but weaves Mayberry’s contempt into a pop savvy gem.