Alvvays - Antisocialites (Polyvinyl, 2017)

Alvvays
Antisocialites
Polyvinyl
2017

Rating: 7.5 old gray jugs out of 10

I had no idea that Alvvays were so popular - they sold out their upcoming show at one of my local clubs, Motorco, super fast (too fast for my broke then-unemployed ass).  I'm left wondering - why has this band taken off and not the dozens of others that sound roughly the same?  That sound being timeless pop with just enough 80s synth throwback to keep the kids interested and don't realize it's kind of a rehash of the past.   Alvvays are the type of band where the singer's voice is so adorable that you just know she's super cute without needing photographic evidence (I call this the "Cardigans Condition").  I wonder if this might be the closest guys like me come to feeling the way a lot of teen girls feel about boy bands...

Here's the thing - sure there's nothing particularly new here, but Alvvays are really damn good at this style of music, so why not make them leader of the pack.  This second album of theirs, "Antisocialites," is so goddamn catchy and sweet it makes my teeth hurt.  If you like pop music at all, it's hard to imagine this wouldn't make you happy.  

Still...don't you feel like this top pop spot should be held by Camera Obscura in perpetuity?  I don't care if they're broken up.