CHVRCHES Leave the Synths at Home for a Stark Cover of Rihanna’s “Stay”

Scottish indie-pop trio CHVRCHES released their Spotify Singles yesterday. The two-song mini-EP is a departure, completely drained of the synthesizers that have always coursed through their euphoric melodies. Instead, they turn their own “Get Out” and a cover of Rihanna’s Unapologetic hit “Stay” into straightforward acoustic tracks. If you found Love Is Dead—the band’s third LP, released last month—too routine, then the fluttering guitars and upright pianos that back lead singer Lauren Mayberry here won’t do much to excite you. But Mayberry does still have a crystalline voice, and “Stay” gives her the opportunity to find a few more blue notes. Listen to it in full below.

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