Blue Rev - Alvvays: Review

Alvvays

are a Canadian indie pop and dream pop band who have been around for almost a decade now but Blue Rev is just their 3rd album. The five years since their sophomore record Antisocialites hasn't dissuaded fans from generating a lot of hype for their new project, which predicted a shift to heavier shoegaze-inspired sounds across its 5 singles. 

Review by Lav:

I've always been a big fan of Alvvays since I first heard Archie, Marry Me on some indie blog years ago. While I can't say they've ever been one of my favorite bands even within their genre niche, you can always expect consistently enjoyable songwriting and execution from the band. Both of those pretty much continue onto Blue Rev which isn't rewriting the book on anything, but it still solid. 

The album had 5 singles and the first two serve as the opening stretch of the record. Pharmacist opens with a perfect meeting of the band's typically sweet sound and catchy refrains with more shoegaze-inspired elements. It works great as a tone-setter for the record. Easy On Your Own? follows with yet another thick haze of guitars that I really enjoy but it's the soaring hook and perfectly placed booming drums that really sell it. It's another single I loved and one that helps get the record off to a great start.

While we're here I should say I also enjoyed the 3rd single Belinda Says quite a bit which shows up later on the album. It's one of the catchiest songs on the record with great vocal layering and I love the moment when everything strips down for Molly to describe this very pedestrian and planned-out lifestyle, only for it to get shattered when the squealing guitars come crashing back in. While we're talking loud songs let's go ahead and get to my favorite deep cut on the record Pomeranian Spinster. It has the youthful bursts of energy that make for so many good Alvvays songs. The bouncy guitar riffs could come from a classic punk song but the snarky rambling lead vocals are closer to The Libertines. The results are totally infectious and make for one of the album's best songs. 

While the louder and more layered songs are generally my favorite across Blue Rev it does occasionally dial it back with good results. Many Mirrors is the best example with enough cloudy vocals and sweet guitar licks to be on the Lost In Translation soundtrack. It gets a bit cheerier in this instance particularly when you unpack the lyrics and dig into the killer drumming. Tom Verlaine is another example and is the wooziest song here. Normally the stretched-out vowels on the hook would be something I didn't like but I think they actually do a decent job making it work with the exciting instrumental rushes. Finally, there's Pressed a slinkier 80's flavored dream pop song with layers of sweet guitars that also manages to be enjoyable despite not being very loud. 

My biggest issue with the record isn't an abundance of bad songs, because it really manages to avoid them entirely. It's more the lack of truly great songs and how many of them fail to deliver many distinct characteristics. After The Earthquake was a decent single that manages to have a pretty exciting conclusion after getting off to a slow start. The final two songs on the record Lottery Noises and Fourth Figure make for an appropriate slowing down to close off the album, but I can't really imagine specifically wanting to hear them in any other context. 

Other tracks here have something, but don't go all the way. Very Online Guy was probably my least favorite single though it certainly doesn't have a problem distinguishing itself. It's one of the funnier and more interesting lyrical tracks here that tells a pretty distinct story, but I'm not sure it works as an actual song itself. In contrast, Velveteen is a sweet little dream pop number that is easy on the ears with some cascading synth lines that I like quite a bit. Unfortunately, the track is completely lacking any compelling refrains and doesn't build up any momentum for its chorus. 

Putting "Bored" in the title of your song is really just bait for music critics, but I'm not above it. Bored In Bristol makes me Bored In Alvvays. Similarly, the track Tile By Tile is bookended by much better songs and even the mechanical synths don't make it any more exciting or distinct when it comes off this lifeless. 

So yes, Blue Rev is solid but unspectacular. Nothing Alvvays are doing here is necessarily exciting or innovative, but more often than not the charm that tends to seep into their music is present. All things considered, it might be my least favorite of Alvvays albums yet, but only by a small margin from a pretty good bunch. It's still worth hearing for any dream pop or shoegaze fans, or really any indie fans in general. 7/10

Album Cover Review by Tyler Judson:

This cover is fun. I love the film quality and the colors used. The gloomy background brings out the bright color and excitement of the subjects. The placement of the text pop and brings it all together. I can't say there's really a full "concept" behind it, it's just a good photo. Otherwise, it's very successful. 7.5/10

For more indie check out my review of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Cool It Down here