Alvvays "Antisocialites (Polyvinyl)"
When I asked Derek, the office’s biggest Alvvays fan, what song he thought the focus track of their newest album Antisocialites (Polyvinyl) should be, he listed 8 songs. Not very helpful in narrowing down the selection, but a great vote of confidence for the record! The 10 tunes on their sophomore followup to the much-beloved 2014 self-titled debut are full of ups and downs, break-ups and break-ins. Shimmery, beach-tinged new wave vibes here, art-punk vibes there, full of clever Scot-pop turns and Molly Rankin’s melodious vocals. It’s like Camera Obscura covering The Smiths, which sounds just as lovely as that sounds. As for the focus track (no thanks to Derek) check out “Dreams Tonite.”