Neu Alvvays

: Alvvays

Based: Toronto, Canada

Listen: ‘Adult Diversion’:
Similar to: Best Coast

Pronounced like the normal ‘always’, not like ‘always’ while doing a terrible Dracula impression, Toronto’s Alvvays, led by Molly Rankin – part of The Rankin Family dynasty – are primed to score your 2014, June through August. They’re purveyors of the finest coastal pop, flinging out ebullient fuzz-rock hooks like Best Coast with a hangover, and yanking at the conscience bewitching melodies. Canada’s not famous for its Copacobana-esque seaside resorts, but somehow the five-piece have channelled the chilled-out, hazy laze and general lackadaisy of spending days on end down on the sound with bestest pals. Perhaps with a Piña Colada.

Much noise has already been made about Rankin’s voice, with frequent comparisons to Tracyanne Campbell (Camera Obscura) chucked around. In ‘Adult Diversion’, arguably the band’s biggest ditty so far, Rankin swoons and wistfully bends through a cavalcade of six-stringer riffs and lo-fi scuzzery. There’s a super neat-o guitar solo too. Alvvays aren’t cannoning away from the genre’s confines, but they bend the borders, adding faint brass and other titbits to their sound, which makes for a wonderfully intriguing listen. It’s not immediately evident, but they’ve got a tricksy experimental streak.

When you’ve got a cast of famed knob-twiddlers and sonic visionaries – from Chad VanGaalen to esteemed producer John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Kurt Vile) – flying your colours and lending a hand to your debut, it’s difficult to envision much going wrong. As fate would have it, not much has for Alvvays on their soon to be released eponymous debut. It’s a doozy of an LP, flitting through wooze-addled surf-pop, vintage smog and pedalboard-flavoured candyfloss.

This quintet have captured, and subsequently set to wax, a carefree, youthful essence that many bands slavishly attempt to achieve, and they’ve done it with aplomb.