Molly Rankin and Alvvays started off as a bright and shimmering, slightly twee indie pop outfit almost ten years ago. The group’s debut soon followed and although breezy and charming, it lent us two mammoth singles, “Adult Diversion” and “Archie, Marry Me”, the latter of which would essentially become the group’s signature song. On Antisocialites, the band made the case for maturity amongst there cadre of art school adjacent students, without losing any of its melodic harmonies. In return, Blue Rev pushes the group even further without ever denying its place as an Alvvays album.
Sonically, the biggest development comes from Kerri MacLellan’s keyboards, which instead of being used as another lead instrument, or for just for underpinning the melody, weave in and out, crafting plinking and often ethereal synth soundscapes. When matched with the bands punky, power pop sound, still unscathed and as vibrant as ever, Blue Rev develops a more textured and denser sound than either of its predecessors.
On “Bored in Bristol” for instance, while newcomer Abbey Blackwell’s rumbling bassline and Sheridan Riley’s drums propel the track, It’s Rankin’s soft vocals and MacLellan’s windswept synth that give the track it’s footing. It leans less on the spritely pop that defines most of the album, but its indicative of the crux of what makes Alvvays special at this moment, the ability to push their sound as far as they have, within their self-designed confines. These tracks are not definitively Alvvays tracks just because Rankin is singing them, but because the group has established a singular consideration of both its sound and vision, without sacrificing its youthful zeal.
