CD Review: Antisocialites by Alvvays

Alvvays
Polyvinyl Records
Score: A-

Antisocialites is a short burst of beautifully crafted pop rock that captures the spirit of the genre with authentic ease.

Winding picked guitars and dancing bass lines create layers of cozy backdrops across the 10-track LP, as vocalist Kerri MacLellan strikes and croons out lines of lyrics telling of mundane tales and indie tropes with a beautifully immersive energy. Rarely does the album drag, and despite repeated themes that tie songs together, enough surprises emerge to keep each song feeling like a fresh slate for the group to perform upon. On “Plimsoll Punks,” a dive into dizzying guitars seems to conclude the straight ahead pop standard, but a crashing of instrumentation catches the song as it fades out, bringing it back for a tambourine driven outro that escalates the song into a standout track on the album.

Nathan Kunz