''Blue Rev'' is the third studio album by Canadian
indie pop
Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...
band
Alvvays
Alvvays (pronounced "always") is a Canadian indie pop band formed in 2011, originating from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and currently based in Toronto, Ontario. It consists of Molly Rankin (vocals and guitar), Kerri MacLellan (keyboard ...
, released on October 7, 2022, via
Polyvinyl
In polymer chemistry, vinyl polymers are a group of polymers derived from substituted vinyl () monomers. Their backbone is an extended alkane chain . In popular usage, "vinyl" refers only to polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Examples
Vinyl polymers are ...
,
Transgressive, and Celsius Girls.
Background
Alvvays' second album, ''
Antisocialites
''Antisocialites'' is the second studio album by Canadian indie pop band Alvvays, released on September 8, 2017, through Polyvinyl, Royal Mountain, Transgressive and Inertia.
Recording and production
According to frontwoman Molly Rankin, ''An ...
'' was released in 2017. Afterwards, the band went on an extensive tour across North America and Europe, as well as often supporting
the National on their tour dates. They began writing songs for ''Blue Rev'' almost immediately after the release of ''Antisocialites'', but several events occurred which delayed the progress of the album: a thief broke into lead singer Molly Rankin's apartment and stole a recorder with several demos contained on it, and the day after, a basement flood threatened to destroy all of the band's gear.
The
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
then created further delays, with border closures preventing the band from rehearsing as a full group. They eventually reconvened in October 2021 in a studio in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
with producer
Shawn Everett
Shawn Everett (born July 6, 1982) is a Canadian music engineer and producer best known for his work with Alabama Shakes, Kacey Musgraves, The War on Drugs, The Killers, and Julian Casablancas. Everett has won six Grammy Awards.
Early life
Ever ...
; they then went on to play all of ''Blue Rev'' front-to-back twice in a single day, with 15-second breaks between songs and a 30-minute break between full album takes.
On June 21, 2022, a month before the announcement of ''Blue Rev'', the band announced a 2022 tour of the US between October and November that year.
''Blue Rev'' is named after
Rev, a Canadian alcoholic beverage.
Music
"Pharmacist" balances the band's signature indie-pop sound with prominent
shoegaze
Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...
elements,
including guitar
distortion
In signal processing, distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic) of a signal. In communications and electronics it means the alteration of the waveform of an information-bearing signal, such as an audio signal ...
and "dreamy" vocals by Molly Rankin.
Quinn Moreland of ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' compared the song to
My Bloody Valentine's ''
Loveless''. Other musical influences include
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...
and
the Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...
("Pressed"),
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle ( ; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist.
Raised in ...
("Belinda Says"),
Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in Bellshill near Glasgow in 1989. The group were founded by Norman Blake (vocals, guitar), Raymond McGinley (vocals, lead guitar) and Gerard Love (vocals, bass), all of whom shared ...
, and
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo (YLT; Spanish for "I have her") is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals), Georgia Hubley (drums, piano, vocals), and James McNew ...
.
The short story collection ''
After the Quake'' by Japanese author
Haruki Murakami
is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...
inspired the lyrics of "After the Earthquake".
Promotion
''Blue Rev'' was announced on July 6, 2022, alongside the release of the lead single "
Pharmacist
A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...
".
The second single, "
Easy On Your Own?", was released on August 10, 2022. "Belinda Says" and "Very Online Guy" were released as a double single on September 22, 2022.
The final single, "After the Earthquake", was released on October 5, 2022.
Critical reception
''Blue Rev'' has received widespread acclaim from music critics. At
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a
normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an
average
In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
score of 86, based on 15 reviews.
Reviewing the album for
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, Tim Sendra declared that, "the songs are memorable and fun, the performances are inspired, and the production is varied and always interesting," and that "the result is a heavenly indie pop hit guaranteed to make their already besotted fans fall even more head over heels in love with the band."
At ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', Will Richards concluded that the album, "stands as an ode to continuing to evolve despite obstacles, slowly honing and tweaking your craft, and keeping on moving."
Ben Salmon of ''
Paste'' wrote, "These are all top-shelf tunes, and they serve as evidence that Rankin and O'Hanley are among the best pop-song writers working today."
Writing for ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'', Jeremey D. Larson claimed, "Alvvays came out with a record that finally is large enough to contain the band's splendor. Every song on ''Blue Rev'' is a feast, done up with effortless élan," alongside the publication awarding the album the "Best New Music" tag.
Concluding the review for ''
Clash'', Bella Savignano called the album, "a magical, twisty excursion to a crossroads where the band simultaneously reflects on yesteryear and explores the turbulence of divergent realities."
In ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'', Alex Hudson stated that compared to its namesake, the album "feels less like a hyperactive buzz and more like the crushing hangover the morning after: chaotic, anxiously over-stimulated, and tinged with regretful melancholy."
Year-end lists
Track listing
* On all physical releases of the album, "Fourth Figure" is present but not listed on the tracklist.
Personnel
Alvvays
* Molly Rankin – vocals, guitar
* Alec O'Hanley – guitar, keyboards, bass
* Kerri MacLellen – keyboards, vocals
* Sheridan Riley – drums
* Abbey Blackwell – bass
Additional musicians
* Chris Dadge – drums
* Moshe Fisher-Rozenberg – drums
* Drew Jurecka – cello, viola
*
Joseph Shabason
Joseph Shabason is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and composer. He is best known for playing the saxophone. As a band member and session musician, Shabason has contributed to bands such as DIANA, Destroyer and The War on Drugs.
As a solo pr ...
– flute, baritone saxophone
* Phil Hartunian – guitar
Technical
*
Shawn Everett
Shawn Everett (born July 6, 1982) is a Canadian music engineer and producer best known for his work with Alabama Shakes, Kacey Musgraves, The War on Drugs, The Killers, and Julian Casablancas. Everett has won six Grammy Awards.
Early life
Ever ...
– production, mixing, engineering
* Molly Rankin – production
* Alec O'Hanley – production, mixing, engineering
* Stephen Koszler – additional engineering
* Phil Hotz – additional engineering
* Robbie Lackritz – additional engineering
* Nyles Spencer – additional engineering
* Julian Decorte – additional engineering
* Amy Fort – additional engineering
* Ivan Wayman – additional engineering
Artwork
* Scott Fitzpatrick – design, layout
* Molly Rankin – design, layout
* Alec O'Hanley – design, layout
* Janet Vanzutphen – photograph
* Nora MacLeod – additional work
* Kerri MacLellen – additional work
Charts
References
{{Authority control
2022 albums
Alvvays albums
Polyvinyl Record Co. albums
Transgressive Records albums
Albums produced by Shawn Everett