Alvvays bring the smiles

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Photo by Will Huang
Photo by Will Huang

After a three-year absence, Molly Rankin has returned to Waterloo with a new band, a new album and a new fan base.

Toronto-based band Alvvays formed in 2012 by Rankin, friend Kerri MacLennan and longtime contributors Alec Oโ€™Hanley, Brian Murphy and Phil MacIsaac.

Despite being based in Toronto, the members first met in the Maritimes. Rankin said that choosing Toronto over other cities was an easy choice.

โ€œTorontoโ€™s pretty central and our French is crap,โ€ she said.

The band broke into the scene earlier this year with their self-titled debut album, an irresistible collection of hook-driven jangle-pop tunes that are sure to be on your next summer playlist. With such a strong debut came a quickly expanding fan base โ€” itโ€™s no wonder the band went to number one on the college charts earlier this year.

โ€œIf literate kids are listening to you, you canโ€™t really ask for much more,โ€ Oโ€™Hanley said.

Critics have labeled Alvvaysโ€™ sound with a multitude of genres, but the band is confident in where they stand in the music world.

โ€œWe think itโ€™s pretty unimpeachable pop,โ€ Oโ€™Hanley said.

โ€œItโ€™s this syrupy exterior โ€” and a lot of people just see that โ€” but if you spend a couple IQ points on diving in there, thereโ€™s more to be had.โ€

Opening their set at Starlight Social Club in uptown Waterloo with the crowd-pleaser โ€œAtop a Cake,โ€ fans stripped away their denim jackets and quickly rushed the stage. The energy was sustained with a punchier rendition of โ€œOnes Who Love Youโ€ and fan-favourite โ€œAdult Diversion,โ€ a song that beckons for the perfect summer afternoon.

From there, the pace slowed for โ€œThe Agency Group,โ€ a swooning song perfectly fit for the intimate setting.

โ€œThatโ€™s my favourite song, it sounds the best,โ€ Rankin said.

The way the songs translated from the album to the stage was seamless. Not only are they sonically accurate, but the bandโ€™s personality shined throughout the performance.

The laissez-faire attitude and the organically awkward on-stage chemistry between Rankin and Oโ€™Hanley made for the perfect backdrop to their set.

The band kept the audience guessing what would be next with a handful of B-sides and a cover. A track that stood out was โ€œUnderneath Us,โ€ a song soaked in distortion and reverb, with synth and a droning beat that hypnotized. Over such a weighted backing, Rankin repeated the hook with a certain lethargy that entranced the audience.

Photo by Will Huang
Photo by Will Huang

The change in tone exemplified the bandโ€™s breadth and ambition to explore various sounds.

โ€œWe try not to shoehorn ourselves into anything โ€” we like to be eclectic pop, pop that you can do anything you want with,โ€ Oโ€™Hanley said.

As the show grew to a close, Alvvays ended off the night with their hit โ€œArchie, Marry Meโ€ โ€” an unconventional love story of crime, akin to Bonnie and Clyde. The energy of the crowd reached new heights as the first โ€œhey heysโ€ were sung and didnโ€™t cease until the final strum.

It was smiles all around for the fans and band alike.

โ€œAny time you can see a lot of people and not individuals, itโ€™s amazing. You know youโ€™re going to have a good show,โ€ Rankin said.

Alvvaysโ€™ performance came at the perfect time, as Waterloo was in desperate need of one last hit of summer.


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