Chvrches’ Martin Doherty Gets Physical

Chvrches’ Martin Doherty Gets Physical

Like Haim, 2013’s other freshly minted indie rock name brand leading the charge toward the FM dial circa 1989, every song on Chvrches’ debut album The Bones Of What You Believe feels like a hit single. Unlike Haim, the Chvrches live show does little to differentiate those songs from their studio versions. Fortunately keyboardist, backup singer and occasional frontman Martin Doherty does everything he can to keep the live show vibrant, often by dramatically pressing keys then stepping away from his machines, letting his hand go limp, and waving it around wildly. When he was untethered from his keyboard, he went supernova with the body movin’. Doherty danced like a sign language interpreter on drugs. Speaking of which…