There’s been a lot of build up around the debut album of Sarah Grace McLaughlin, known to the music world as British-American singer-songwriter Bishop Briggs. Briggs has been releasing singles for a few years now, steadily building a following via streaming platforms and Shazam. Before the release of Church of Scars, Briggs released two self-titled E.P.s, resulting in over 400 million global streams and features in MTV’s Scream tv series, Fifty Shades Freed, and an Acura commercial that gained her significant notoriety. Early acclaim earned her comparisons to artists like Adele and an opening spot on a Coldplay tour.
For those who are only familiar with Briggs’s alt radio darling “River,” Church of Scars might be a bit of a surprise. Her debut juggles a variety of musical styles and influences–pop, rock, folk, electronica, blues–resulting in a mix of power ballads, indie pop dance tracks, and more delicate, folksy fare for her debut. Thematically, the album plays with a myriad of opposites; strength and weakness, enemies and lovers, and in the case of album closer “Hi-Lo (Hollow),” the highs and lows of her past experiences.
| A1 | Tempt My Trouble | 3:13 |
| A2 | River | 3:36 |
| A3 | Lyin' | 3:06 |
| A4 | White Flag | 3:50 |
| A5 | Dream | 3:14 |
| B1 | Wild Horses | 3:09 |
| B2 | Hallowed Ground | 2:54 |
| B3 | Water | 3:21 |
| B4 | The Fire | 3:03 |
| B5 | Hi-Lo (Hollow) | 4:11 |
