#4 Alvvays - Q's Top 20 Albums of 2014
Our countdown of the Top 20 albums of 2014 continues with the self-titled debut by Cape Breton and PEI transplants, Alvvays. It's the debut record by a group whose front-woman, Molly Rankin, comes from a great Canadian musical legacy, but bucks its style with her band's sound.
- Related: Discover the bittersweet sound of breakout band Alvvays (Note: this post features archival video)
The four-piece seemed to come out of nowhere this past spring, releasing a tongue-in-cheek song about marriage in contemporary society.But they soon proved there's much more where that came from.
Their self-titled album, Alvvays, wears a sunny disposition in its spry pop. It also has a healthy retro wash provided by producer Chad Vangaalen. But pop the hood and you have a keen expression of mid-20s life: post-education ennui, the weight of social expectation, and of course the pendulum that is young love.
It's that bittersweet combination - executed well - that gives this debut such promise... and creates excitement that the Rankin Family name will continue to stand tall in this country's musical future.