Five years in the making
Releasing on October 7th, 2022, Alvvays’s newest album Blue Rev mixes subgenres of indie, rock and pop to create a standout release entering the new season. With over ten years in the industry since their conception, the Canadian-based band shows no sign of slowing down. With over five years since their last full-length release, the band has overcome a variety of challenges for their glorious return to the stage.
Right away, the first two songs on the album energize and light up audiences. With over one million streams so far on Spotify, a listening standout is the second track “Easy On Your Own?” which takes an unflinching look into the conventionalities of getting a job and going to school and work, and what happens when you drop out. These lyrics are especially relatable to those who may have felt uncertain about their educational or career paths. Many of the lyrics echo uncomfortable thoughts that one would lay in bed thinking about at night, keeping them up. The chorus of the song echoes these insecurities many face, “Wasted some of the best years of my life, and I wanted to see it through. This time you don’t like it. Say it’s over. Weekends alone, does it get easier on your own? (You don’t like it).” These uncomfortable topics are handled with such grace with complementing musical timbre, which is surprisingly upbeat to contrast the more bitter lyricism.
A variety of the upbeat songs on the album sound similar to bands such as Beach Bunny which thrive on the heavier indie rock and indie pop elements such as intensity of instruments such as electric guitar and percussion to help bring up the emotion at the core of each song.
A song that wasn’t originally featured as a single is the fourth track “Tom Verlaine” which begins with an intriguing slower echo section which is alluring and intriguing before opening up to the more standard guitar and percussion beat. Once again, the song is able to contrast more cynical and anxiety-ridden lyrics of a partner leaving with a major key and an upbeat tone. Yet the slower start builds until the song climaxes with a strong guitar solo pulled off effortlessly by the band’s own Alec O’Hanley and bassist Abbey Blackwell. Other hits off the album that hit the same high intensity include the first song off the album “Pharmacist” as well as “Pomeranian Spinster,” which along with a few other tracks has an extremely creative and unique naming sequence.
Five years since their last full-length album, Blue Rev was long worth the wait. With the band blending elements of hard rock into their indie pop exterior, they are able to come back into the music industry with a bang after their many obstacles to overcome to even release the album. With expert-level eyes for balancing more revealing and darker lyrics with electrifying melodies, Alvvays is able to truly excel with this triumphant return in the indie scope.
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