Alvvays are an indie pop band from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Their lineup has changed a bit over their decade-plus long existence, but they currently consist of lead singer and bassist Molly Rankin, keyboard player Kerri MacLellan, lead guitarist Alec O’Hanley, drummer Sheridan Riley, and bassist Abbey Blackwell.
Within indie pop, they hail from the jangle pop subgenre, which emphasizes jangly (hence the name) guitar work and melodies inspired by 1960s pop. The Smiths and early R.E.M are two of the most recognizable bands within the subgenre. Between their 2014 self-titled album and their 2017 album Antisocialites, they’ve become one of the most popular and acclaimed indie pop bands to spring up over the past decade, and a favorite of ours.
Perhaps the most important new development on this album concerns that of the band’s overall sound, with the band’s conventional jangle pop elements being mixed with those of shoegaze, a subgenre of alternative rock defined by simultaneous loud, distorted guitars and muted vocals. Popular bands within the subgenre include My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Ride.
Despite the apparent difference between the lighter, poppier jangle pop and the much heavier shoegaze, the two sounds are far from alien, and Alvvays makes good use of that on this album. The album opener and lead single “Pharmacist” is perhaps the best example of the potential of this fusion, although later tracks “Velveteen” and “Pomeranian Spinster” do well by incorporating more subtle shoegaze influences into the band’s traditional style. The band pulls off the style shift well, exploring new territory without going so far that old fans will be alienated.
The songwriting is also solid, sticking mostly to the band’s traditional topics of romance and relationships, although with some interesting angles on those themes. “Easy On Your Own” follows a failed long-term relationship from the excitement of the couple’s college years through a dull, unpleasant entrance into the workforce. “Tom Verlaine” compares a frustrating, hard-to-reach potential paramour with the late, reclusive frontman of 1970s punk rock band Television. And “Very Online Guy” tells the story of a man who has the time to reply to seemingly everyone on the internet – except the singer. None of these are exactly groundbreaking, but they’re distinctive enough to prevent the album’s lyrics from being too repetitive or boring.
One area in which the album falls a little bit short is composition. While the hooks in particular of many of these songs are pleasant enough, even after several listens it can be difficult to remember individual ones, which was not a problem the band’s previous albums had. Put more simply, it’s not easy to pick out an “Archie, Marry Me,” or a “Dreams Tonite” or a “Not My Baby” from this album. It’s an album better re-listened to as a whole, so don’t expect to be throwing too many tracks from it in your Spotify playlist.
Overall though, Blue Rev is a solid effort from Alvvays, keeping up their consistent streak of quality into the 2020s. Alvvays continues to be one of the most exciting bands to break out in the last decade, and we look forward to whatever they may do next.
Overall: 7/10
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