by Sebastian Ching
Alvvays’ third album is a wiser and more self-assured refinement of their signature layered and dreamy indie pop-rock (with hints of punk and folk). Building on their strengths with bold experimentation, Alvvays injects Blue Rev with eclectic buzz and maudlin introspection. It’s an electrifyingly satisfying answer to a five year hiatus.
Alvvays’ lyrical strength is on full display with their first two tracks, “Pharmacist” and “Easy on Your Own?”. Lead singer Molly Rankin deftly undercuts the energetic and jangly melodies of the two songs with pensive reflection. Never one to state her feelings outright, Rankin’s lyrics evoke the bittersweet afterglow of relationships past. Bumping into an ex’s sister at a pharmacy brings to surface glimpses of events long gone, culminating with Rankin wistfully wishing she could “wake up on the right side looking back”. But what’s one to do? The sister tells Rankin he has “that new love glow”. In “Easy on Your Own”, Rankin meditates on the “dull knife” of college education and the ennui of “crawling in monochromatic hallways”. University is a time of flux and discovery, yet Rankin wonders: “How do I gauge, whether this is stasis or change?”
That isn’t to say Blue Rev is all gloomy recollection. Supported by impressive guitar solos and razor-sharp drumming, “Very Online Guy” and “Pressed” offer explosive and sporadic experiences infused with Rankin’s trademark wit. A stand out in Alvvays’ bubbly and upbeat offering is “Pomeranian Spinster”. In stark contrast to the stereotype of the ageing single woman, Rankin asserts a fierce independence and revelry, declaring that the “glass slipper never fit”. Harking back to their hit single “Archie, Marry Me”, “Pomeranian Spinster” delivers another deft jab at modern romance with a dash of melancholy lurking underneath its cheery surface.
Moving through the tracklist, Alvvays’ maturity as a band is best reflected in their penultimate song, “Lottery Noises”. The heady joy of winning the lottery is undercut by dejection and grief with the lines:
“Lucky sevens align while I’m riding pine/ And I’ll always be looking for ways/ To remember the sound of the lottery noises/ That I can’t believe rang for me.”
One might wish that Alvvays would end on a more cheerful note if it weren’t for the utter sincerity found in Rankin’s sonorous delivery.
Weaving through emotional highs and lows, past revelries and regrets, Blue Rev is playful yet contemplative, deeply sentimental, and quietly devastating. Alvvays’ third studio album tempers nostalgia with remarkable clarity and tact.
