Just two years after their formation and a year since their first single, CHVRCHES’s debut album delivers on every front. The young Glaswegian band have gathered plenty of momentum in the lead-up to the album’s release. They were featured in Guardian as one of its New Bands of the Day in July 2012. Meanwhile, the BBC ranked CHVRCHES fifth on their Sound of 2013 list. Needless to say The Bones of What You Believe was eagerly anticipated and has not disappointed. Just don’t expect to hear this one in Cindies.

Opening track ‘The Mother We Share’ combines rhythmic vitality with original musical invention: a vein runs which through the rest of the album. CHRVCHES’s distinctive timbre immediately appeals to the ear with a huge array of musical colours but the electronic sounds of the synthesisers are never over the top. Describing something as ‘mainstream’ has become taboo, but its definition has been turned on its head as the desire for new and alternative sounds becomes the norm. It looks as if CHVRCHES may be in line to fill the void left in the UK music scene by the departure of Mumford and Sons.

‘Gun’ is characterised by driving rhythms and thrilling vocals that make it charged with electric energy while ‘Night Sky’ puts on show the full artillery with synthesisers, samplers, guitar and bass all having their moment.

My personal highlight of the album is lead singer Lauren Mayberry’s stunning voice. The airy purity of her singing has a quality which slots effortlessly in with their ‘synthpop’ sound, showing that the group clearly has a strong rapport in balancing its forces.

The synthesisers step back slightly in 'Broken Bones’ leaving Mayberry’s vocals centre-stage. There are some intense and at times insightful lyrics throughout the album although the flow is sometimes disrupted as the words are forced to accommodate the rhythmic pulse of each song.

This is a sensational debut album. My only concern would be whether there is an expiry date on CHVRCHES’ sound. The CD dips slightly in the middle and I can’t help get the sense that they’re utilising everything they have at their disposal.

Nevertheless, this is a band whose progress is definitely worth tracking.CHVRCHES will be playing at the Junction, Cambridge in March – restassured, I won’t be telling you when tickets go on sale.