ALVVAYS DEBUT album was dominated, indeed overshadowed, by one song - 'Archie, Marry Me' - an inspired depiction of young love, defiance, and ennui. Backed by a grandstanding chorus and killer middle eight, it was definitive indiepop par excellence.
It was so good that, while the rest of the album did not live up to it, the song nonetheless marked the Canadian band as one to watch, and Antisocialites has delivered on that faith.
The hazy shoegaze of opener 'In Undertow', and the brilliant, poignant, 'Not My Baby', shows the band's trademark melancholy sense of melody is intact, but their pop nous is stronger, more fully formed. Indeed the album has a noticeably bigger, fuller sound; the songwriting and performances are far more confident and assured, and crucially, unlike the debut, there is not just one highlight, but many.
'Dreams Tonight' is a gentle, bittersweet, synth driven song of unrequited love and loss; 'Hey' comes on like a latter day The Primitives; while 'Saved By A Waif', and more especially, 'Plimsoll Punks', are driven by a mighty, energetic, joyous, indie-pop rush. Alvvays have truly arrived as purveyors of high quality indie music.
