Screen Violence

Screen Violence
Screen Violence
Studio album by Chvrches
Released	27 August 2021
Studio	Glasgow, Scotland; Los Angeles, United States;
Genre	Pop; synth-pop;
Length	42:53
Label	EMI; Glassnote;
Producer	Chvrches
Chvrches chronology
Singles from Screen Violence
	"He Said She Said"; Released: 19 April 2021; "How Not to Drown"; Released: 2 June 2021; "Good Girls"; Released: 12 July 2021;

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	81/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The A.V. Club	B+
Exclaim!	8/10
The Line of Best Fit	7/10
Paste	6.1/10
Pitchfork	7.2/10
PopMatters	8/10
Slant Magazine

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. Lead single "He Said She Said" was released on 19 April. The album was announced alongside the second single, "How Not to Drown", a collaboration with Robert Smith, lead singer of the Cure.

The album was promoted with a North American tour from November to December 2021.

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. 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". 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". 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."

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".

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.	Title	Length
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)
No.	Title	Length
11.	"How Not to Drown" (Robert Smith Remix)	7:07

*Screen Violence (Director's Cut)* bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
11.	"Killer"	3:20
12.	"Screaming"	3:34
13.	"Bitter End"	4:38

Personnel

Chvrches

Lauren Mayberry – vocals, keyboards, percussion, production
Iain Cook – keyboards, programming, guitar, bass, production, mixing
Martin Doherty – keyboards, programming, guitar, bass, additional vocals on "Violent Delights", production, mixing

Additional personnel

Robert Smith – vocals, bass (playing a Fender Bass VI) and backwards guitar on "How Not To Drown"
Gavin Lurssen – mastering
Samuel Stewart – vocal engineering
Scott Kiernan – creative direction
Lary 7 – original cover photography

Charts

Chart performance for *Screen Violence*
Chart (2021)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)	6
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)	19
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)	19
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)	49
Canadian Albums (Billboard)	74
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)	71
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)	91
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)	15
Irish Albums (OCC)	4
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)	46
Japanese Albums (Oricon)	65
Scottish Albums (OCC)	1
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)	52
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)	19
UK Albums (OCC)	4
US Billboard 200	31