Canadian outfit Alvvays has been at the periphery of my aural landscape since their inception, but never made music I liked enough to pay attention to up until recently, churcning out sugary indie pop shaded with elements of shoegaze, twee, and dream pop as driven by the hushed, dulcet-creamy vocals of Molly Rankin, who sounds conversely apathetic and filled with longing. It’s pleasant, easy-on-the-ears type stuff, but gets more so when the band steps outside of its usual realms, ala “Plimsoll Punks” off 2017’s Antisocialites; it sounds both punchy-retro and timeless, with a fast beat and smart lyrics (“When I chip through your candy coating / You’re stuffed with insulation / Just strawberry ice cream floating / With a sprinkle of indignation”).
Alvvays play Friday, July 20, 7:45–8:45 pm, on the CHBP Stage. Find a complete list of (40) must-see acts here, check out The Stranger‘s full Capitol Hill Block Party calendar, and see schedules broken up by day—Friday, July 20; Saturday, July 21; and Sunday, July 22. Listen to some Alvvays (and peep videos) below.
