Alvvays
Polyvinyl Records/Popfrenzy Records
When Alvvays describe themselves as two women, three men and a crate of C-86 cassettes there is no hiding what a listen to their debut album will sound like. The high school friends that make up Alvvays bring a type of naivety to their music that is unlikely to be by accident. While the nine song self-titled release may be light on for surprises, it has no shortage of appeal.
Molly Rankin is the daughter of Canadian country singer John Rankin, yet very little of that upbringing seeps into the music of Alvvays. What is more evident is the fuzzed out tones of a bygone era and a healthy dose of melancholy. Rankin is sure to be the band’s talking point with her voice carrying just the right amount of yearning, particularly on irrepressible single, Archie, Marry Me.
The band visited the studio of fellow lo-fi aficionado, Chad VanGaalen, capture the tunes on Alvvays. There will be many comparisons to the summery sounds of Best Coast, but Alvvays have far less sugar in their diet and more sublime fretwork thanks to Alec O’Hanley. The album is sweet to the ear from start to finish, yet still finds time to touch on topics such as drunkenness, defeat and death.
Alvvays follow a path that has been travelled by many with a passion for jangle and the indie heyday of the late eighties in their heart, its just that they do it far better than most o their warm debut.
CHRIS HAVERCROFT
