Packed with warm fuzzy guitars and dreamy vocals, Alvvays’ self-titled debut kicks off in confident fashion. Opener ‘Adult Diversion’ is impressive and sets the pace, and the tone, for the rest of the record. Country vibes inform ‘Next of Kin’, an intimate re-telling of a tragic love affair (“I left my love in the river, the only one who sees”). The bass-driven ‘Party Police’ ratchets up the melancholy with its haunting melodies. An ominous, synth-led ‘Dives’, meanwhile, is a nice piece of relief from the constant guitar buzz. ‘Atop a Cake’ is accompanied by a welcome tempo increase and is followed by perfect closer, ‘Red Planet’. Here, vocalist Molly Rankin is at her most vulnerable and intimate. Alvvays aren’t the most original band in the world and, at moments, may remind you of The Shins and even Taylor Swift (weird but true). But their songs are catchy and accessible. For now, that is enough.
OUT NOW. FIONN HARRINGTON