327) Alvvays - Antisocialites

I was awful at Geography at school, I was good at English (a shock I know to regular readers) and Arithmetic, hence the job in Finance but Geography I dropped the first chance I got.

Therefore all I know about Canada is Trump wanting it as a 51st state (I don’t do politics on here but I hope you can all guess my opinion of that man) and I wrote a review about Sloan who are also from there, hardly extensive is it?  Really should broaden my mind but I don’t really have the time when I must know who played bass on The Fall’s twelfth album. (In case people can’t sleep tonight, it was Steve Hanley.)

Is there a point to this detailed information I am providing on Canada, of course there is as todays review is Alvvays and guess where they are from?

So, what can I tell you about Alvvays, do you like the guitar melodies of Teenage Fanclub (Norman Blake makes an appearance) and early REM and a bit of the catchiness of Lush. Have a listen to Your Type which could have appeared on the sole Shop Assistants record or any Primitives album so if these five bands have always been a joy then Alvvays could be for you.

Antisocialites is the groups second album and is ten songs totalling thirty three minutes a mini joy fest of an album as we have guitar melodies and synths throughout and singer Molly Rankin has one of those voices that has authority over the tunes but a warmth that draws you in.

There is not really a bad song on this record but if the sheer exuberance of the first three songs does not get you then I would leave alone. In Undertow sucks you in slowly and Dreams Tonite the chorus is sung beautifully, and Plimsoll Punks lets acknowledge the drums.

Lollipop (Ode to Jim), the Jim being Jim Reid no less who Molly shared a stage with never lets up and we have a break with Already Gone as the band slow the pace but enough going on in the background to keep you interested.

Nothing to do for half an hour well give this a go and more importantly another thing to add to my vast knowledge of Canada.

7/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Dreams Tonite