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Blue Rev

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Blue Rev
Studio album by
Alvvays
ReleasedOctober 6, 2022 (2022-10-06)
RecordedOctober 2021
Genre
Length38:52
Label
Producer
Alvvays chronology
Antisocialites
(2017) 		Blue Rev
(2022)
Singles from Blue Rev
  1. "Pharmacist"
    Released: July 6, 2022
  2. "Easy on Your Own?"
    Released: August 10, 2022
  3. "Belinda Says / Very Online Guy"
    Released: September 9, 2022
  4. "After the Earthquake"
    Released: October 5, 2022

Blue Rev is the third studio album by Canadian indie pop band Alvvays, released on October 7, 2022, via Polyvinyl, Transgressive, and Celsius Girls. The album expands on the shoegaze influences from their previous albums, and received universal acclaim from critics.

Background

[edit]

Alvvays' second album, Antisocialites was released in 2017.[1] Afterwards, the band went on an extensive tour across North America and Europe, as well as often supporting the National on their tour dates.[2] 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.[3] The COVID-19 pandemic 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 with producer Shawn Everett; 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.[3]

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.[4] Blue Rev is named after Rev, a Canadian alcoholic beverage.[5]

Music

[edit]

"Pharmacist" balances the band's signature indie-pop sound with prominent shoegaze elements,[6][7] including guitar distortion and "dreamy" vocals by Molly Rankin.[7][8][9] Quinn Moreland of Pitchfork compared the song to My Bloody Valentine's Loveless.[10] Other musical influences include Morrissey and the Smiths ("Pressed"), Belinda Carlisle ("Belinda Says"), Teenage Fanclub, and Yo La Tengo.[11] The short story collection After the Quake by Japanese author Haruki Murakami inspired the lyrics of "After the Earthquake".[11]

Promotion

[edit]

Blue Rev was announced on July 6, 2022, alongside the release of the lead single "Pharmacist".[12] The second single, "Easy on Your Own?", was released on August 10, 2022.[13] "Belinda Says" and "Very Online Guy" were released as a double single on September 22, 2022.[14] The final single, "After the Earthquake", was released on October 5, 2022.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.1/10[15]
Metacritic86/100[16]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[17]
And It Don't StopA[18]
Clash8/10[19]
Exclaim!9/10[20]
NME[21]
Paste8.4/10[22]
Pitchfork8.8/10[23]

Blue Rev received widespread acclaim from music critics upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 86, based on 15 reviews.

Reviewing the album for AllMusic, 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."[17] At NME, 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."[21] 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."[22]

Writing for Pitchfork, Jeremy 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.[23] 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."[19] In Exclaim!, 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."[20]

Veteran critic Robert Christgau recommended the CD edition over streaming the album because of more clarity from the "shoegaze fuzz" he otherwise perceived, while noticing "how explicitly collegiate [the lyrics] were, situating Molly Rankin both culturally, in her devotion to aesthetic usages less staid than 'the lettered life' she once aspired to, and generationally, as the postgrads who populate her songs negotiate love lives they're seldom ready for".[18]

The album won Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2023[24] and was shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize.[25] "Belinda Says" was nominated for Best Alternative Music Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.[26]

Year-end lists

[edit]
Blue Rev on year-end lists
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Rolling Stone The 100 Best Albums of 2022
12
[27]
Exclaim! Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2022
1
[28]
The Guardian The 50 best albums of 2022
25
[29]
The New York Times Lindsay Zoladz's Best Albums of 2022
7
[30]
NPR The 50 Best Albums of 2022
33
[31]
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2022
3
[32]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2022
3
[33]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2022
1
[34]
Flood Magazine Best Albums of 2022
1
[35]
Treble The 50 Best Albums of 2022
3
[36]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Molly Rankin and Alec O'Hanley

Blue Rev track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Pharmacist"2:04
2."Easy on Your Own?"2:54
3."After the Earthquake"3:05
4."Tom Verlaine"3:26
5."Pressed"2:09
6."Many Mirrors"2:58
7."Very Online Guy"2:22
8."Velveteen"3:09
9."Tile by Tile"2:58
10."Pomeranian Spinster"3:24
11."Belinda Says"2:45
12."Bored in Bristol"3:00
13."Lottery Noises"3:18
14."Fourth Figure"1:20
Total length:38:52
  • On all physical releases of the album, "Fourth Figure" is present but not listed on the tracklist.

Personnel

[edit]

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Blue Rev
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Australian Hitseekers Albums (ARIA)[37] 6
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[38] 75
Scottish Albums (OCC)[39] 6
UK Albums (OCC)[40] 27
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[41] 11
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[42] 2
US Billboard 200[43] 61
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[44] 8
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[45] 3
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[46] 8

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (July 6, 2022). "'Ready for Some Levity': Alvvays Brighten Up Their Indie-Pop Dream". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  2. ^ The National [@TheNational] (March 5, 2019). "A world tour begins this June, and we're thrilled to have Courtney Barnett and Alvvays joining us at many of the shows. See all tour dates at https://americanmary.com. Tickets on sale Friday, March 8th at 10AM local time" (Tweet). Retrieved October 5, 2022 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ a b "Blue Rev - Alvvays". Bandcamp. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  4. ^ Strauss, Matthew (June 21, 2022). "Alvvays Announce Fall 2022 U.S. Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  5. ^ Cohen, Ian (October 6, 2022). "The Beautiful Blue Twisted Fantasies of Alvvays". The Ringer. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  6. ^ Vettese, John (July 6, 2022). "Alvvays will release third album 'Blue Rev' this fall; listen to 'Pharmacist'". WXPN. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Golsen, Tyler (July 6, 2022). "Alvvays announce new studio album 'Blue Rev' with new single". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  8. ^ Russell, Scott (July 6, 2022). "Alvvays Announce New Album 'Blue Rev', Share First Single 'Pharmacist'". Paste. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  9. ^ Hernandez-Simeonidis, Sofie (July 7, 2022). "Alvvays, 'Pharmacist'". NPR. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  10. ^ Moreland, Quinn (July 6, 2022). "Alvvays: 'Pharmacist' Track Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Brodsky, Rachel (October 3, 2022). "Molly Rankin On How Teenage Fanclub, Fantasy Basketball, & More Shaped Alvvays' New Album". Stereogum. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  12. ^ Skinner, Tom (July 6, 2022). "Alvvays announce third album 'Blue Rev' and share new single 'Pharmacist'". NME. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  13. ^ Arcand, Rob (August 10, 2022). "Alvvays Share New Song 'Easy on Your Own?': Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  14. ^ Corcoran, Nina (September 22, 2022). "Alvvays Share Videos for New Songs 'Belinda Says' and 'Very Online Guy': Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  15. ^ "Blue Rev by Alvvays reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  16. ^ "Blue Rev by Alvvays Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  17. ^ a b Sendra, Tim (October 7, 2022). "Alvvays – Blue Rev Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  18. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (March 8, 2023). "Consumer Guide: March, 2023". And It Don't Stop. Substack. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Savignano, Bella (October 6, 2022). "Alvvays – Blue Rev". Clash. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  20. ^ a b Hudson, Alex (October 7, 2022). "Alvvays Are Unpredictable, Harsh and Better Than Ever on 'Blue Rev'". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  21. ^ a b Richards, Will (October 5, 2022). "Alvvays – 'Blue Rev' review: a subtle but satisfying expansion". NME. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  22. ^ a b Salman, Ben (October 4, 2022). "Alvvays: 'Blue Rev' Album Review". Paste. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  23. ^ a b Larson, Jeremy D. (October 7, 2022). "Alvvays: Blue Rev Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  24. ^ Benchetrit, Jenna; Patel, Arti (March 11, 2023). "The Weeknd picks up 4 wins on Junos 2023 opening night". CBC News.
  25. ^ "Here's the 2023 Polaris Music Prize short list". CBC Music. July 13, 2023.
  26. ^ Enos, Morgan (November 10, 2023). "2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List". Grammy Awards. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  27. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2022". Rolling Stone. December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  28. ^ "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2022". Exclaim!. November 30, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  29. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2022". The Guardian. December 24, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  30. ^ "Best Albums of 2022". The New York Times. November 30, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  31. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2022 (40-31)". NPR. December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  32. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". Paste. November 28, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  33. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". Pitchfork. December 6, 2022.
  34. ^ "The 50 Best Songs of Albums". Stereogum. December 6, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  35. ^ "Best Albums of 2022". FLOOD Magazine. December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  36. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". Treble. December 5, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  37. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 17 October 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1702. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 17, 2022. p. 24.
  38. ^ "Alvvays Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  39. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  40. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  41. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  42. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  43. ^ "Alvvays Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  44. ^ "Alvvays Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  45. ^ "Alvvays Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  46. ^ "Alvvays Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
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