Alvvays - ‘Easy On Your Own?’
‘Easy on your own?’ opens with Molly Rankin’s voice, like the vanguard of a military force, leading the rest of the troops into the swell of action.
Alvvays have mastered these euphoric moments of union whereby delaying the blissfully guitar-heavy instrumentation you feel intimately connected to her sole vocal and then drenched in a release of sound when the band joins in. Rankin’s voice has the unique quality of being transcendently pure while possessing the anthemic roughness of someone singing their heart out. In the same vein, she has the alluring ability to sound careless and emotional at the same time, similar to that of Julian Casablancas. It’s like stippling wet paint, the slack application of a roller on a wall that was once crisp and smooth (but in a good way, not where the local menace is purposefully sabotaging your paint job). This almost oxymoronic singing style is indicative of Alvvays’ sound, a raucous jostling with elated synchronicity, a raw creativity with honed and refined structure.
It’s been five years since Antisocialites, the band’s second album, and a lot has happened for the band in that time. Extensive touring delayed the writing of new material and then a recorder full of demos was stolen from Rankin’s home. The band also found itself with a new rhythm section but couldn’t practice due to covid restrictions. All in all, it’s been a tricky road to traverse since the last album.
Five years may have passed but the evocative yet mind-meltingly catchy vocal hooks and joyous reverb-dripping guitar accompaniments are as strong as ever. This song is the second in a tracklist of 14 songs from their upcoming album Blue Rev (out October 7th via Transgressive) and it marks a cementing of the Canadian indie pop outfit as one of the most formidable, reliable and exciting of the last decade.
Words by Daniel Badger
