
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 OโHanley, 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.
โTorontoโs 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 itโs no wonder the band went to number one on the college charts earlier this year.
โIf literate kids are listening to you, you canโt really ask for much more,โ OโHanley said.
Critics have labeled Alvvaysโ sound with a multitude of genres, but the band is confident in where they stand in the music world.
โWe think itโs pretty unimpeachable pop,โ OโHanley said.
โItโs 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, thereโs more to be had.โ
Opening their set at Starlight Social Club in uptown Waterloo with the crowd-pleaser โAtop a Cake,โ fans stripped away their denim jackets and quickly rushed the stage. The energy was sustained with a punchier rendition of โOnes Who Love Youโ and fan-favourite โAdult Diversion,โ a song that beckons for the perfect summer afternoon.
From there, the pace slowed for โThe Agency Group,โ a swooning song perfectly fit for the intimate setting.
โThatโs 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 bandโs personality shined throughout the performance.
The laissez-faire attitude and the organically awkward on-stage chemistry between Rankin and OโHanley 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 โUnderneath 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.

The change in tone exemplified the bandโs breadth and ambition to explore various sounds.
โWe try not to shoehorn ourselves into anything โ we like to be eclectic pop, pop that you can do anything you want with,โ OโHanley said.
As the show grew to a close, Alvvays ended off the night with their hit โArchie, 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 โhey heysโ were sung and didnโt cease until the final strum.
It was smiles all around for the fans and band alike.
โAny time you can see a lot of people and not individuals, itโs amazing. You know youโre 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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