Reviews (page 2 of 2)
big 3
Really solid
Great sound and refined take on the genre
Their first album had a couple fun little catchy songs but nothing really moved me enough to keep following them so this is my first time listening to this one. I feel validated in my decision because this is similarly fine without really doing anything groundbreaking or novel. I wouldn't complain about it being on but I'd never seek it out. Bizarre inclusion especially given its recency.
Longtime fan of Alvvays, and this certainly fills a gap in my listening history. I think this one is a bit of a sleeper. Pharmacist kicks off nicely. After the Earthquake, Velveteen, Bored in Bristol and Lottery Noises were the standouts today, but I feel this could grow on me with a bit more time.
Not bad.
I mean it's not bad as such, just a bit nothingy and derivative. They arent doing anything different from a millions other indie-pop bands from the last 30 years. People only tend to listen to things that are 'now' it seems.
Fine enough modern (kind of peppy?) shoegaze
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: After the earthquake, Velveteen, Tile by tile
3/5
A modern era classic. This one has been in my rotation for a while and never seems to get old
I saw Alvvays open up for Chvrches (brought to you buy the letter ‘v,’ obviously), and I don’t remember feeling one way or another about their music, probably because I was still riding the high of doing a meet-and-greet with Chvrhces before the show. I’ve heard their song “In Undertow” quite a few times, and I like it, but I’ve never checked out a full album from these folks before. I’m hoping this will be my first five-star album of the new bunch! Blue Rev was excellent, and exactly what I would want out of a shoegaze album. The guitar and keyboard playing were excellent throughout the album, and the vocals were perfectly dreamy. There were songs with a bit more of a pop music punch, and songs with more rounded edges, but no matter what Alvvays was doing, it worked really well. For a shoegaze sound, I really appreciated that Alvvays was never trying to duplicate what other shoegaze acts have done. “Pharmacist,” “After The Earthquake,” and “Many Mirrors” were my favorite songs on the album, but there wasn’t a bad track to be found. I’ve only got two more albums from the newest batch left to review, but so far, this has been the best one. I really want to check these guys’ back catalog.
One of the most boring albums I've had in a hot minute. Hard to maintain focus on this album, I kept drifting off..... Favourite songs: Pomeranian Spinster, Tom Verlaine, Pharmacist Least favourite songs: idk.... This whole album was a bland mess... 1/5
This album is a nice collection of indie rock songs, but like a lot of bands contemporary to Alvvays, there is one song and no range. The song is nice, it’s got jangly guitars and beat you can bop to. The vocals are usually extremely tolerable. There’s overall nothing to complain about. However, when it’s the only song on a forty minute, fourteen song album, it gets repetitive. I enjoy this style of modern “rock”. I recognize that by nature of the style, it’s lacking some range. A lot of melancholy wailing. “Very Online Guy” and “Velveteen” felt different, so there was a little change up halfway through the album, which was nice. Fun stuff. I like this one. 4/5
And that's the final of the new albums for me. The short excursion back to the main list was definitely an event that happened. A pretty good one to end on all things considered. This was one of the better albums of 2022 even if I can't really say I've spent more than three seconds thinking about its existence after the week it came out. It's a sweet enough modern Shoegaze album. It makes you say: "This is a sweet enough modern Shoegaze album" when you listen to it. Okay, off I go. I'm going to get raptured to the user list again and I'm probably gonna be listening to some Lithuanian avant-prog album you can only find on Youtube in glorious 240p. That or another five Canadians finished the list in the meantime and all suggested more fucking Tragically Hip. AHHHHH MY SOUL AHHHHH
Enjoyable if not forgettable indie pop rock. Honestly this spot should have been given to any Parcels album over this.
Good! Nice to have some indie that I’ve actually heard of prior
To me, it sounds like your average indiepop band.
Listenable, but i can't remember a single track in an hour after listening to it
It's a good album. I'm not sure it should be here, but it's a good album. I enjoyed it more than I used to back when it was released.
Decent modern indie
Not bad! Good vibes
Meh this was fine I guess
Þokkaleg plata, held hún muni batna við fleiri hlustanir.
Not to be one of those fans, but I do prefer their earlier albums. Listening for the first time in a while. It's great. And nice to see it on this list. It starts so strong! Only a slight dip in the middle. 4.5 rounded up Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes, 114/456 (25%) Will I get: Already have
Another new addition from the recently released revised book and the third for me in a week. Think I’m in a bit of a unique position here. I only reached the 1001 mark a few weeks ago prior to the new book coming out and at that time I expected I would complete after 1089 albums. Fast forward and with the new additions that has gone up to 1102 whilst my personal album count is now 1025. I expect the remaining albums left to review will be largely new additions. If that is so I hope the newbies fare better on my ears than this. One genre I’ve learnt about thanks to this list is shoe gazing of which this album is an example. My definition of that is boredom. So bored that you gaze down to check your shoe laces are tied or count the creases formed across the leather uppers. As it happened it was Saturday morning in bed when I listened to this so when I stared down I gently waggled my toes. This was more exciting than the music. 2/5 24/10/26
They can kinda change up the jams which is nice but they arent for me. Whisper singing doesnt work here for me.
Alvvays hits that indie nostalgia niche for me, and alvvays have (haha). Just a real nice blend of good instrumentals with dreamy lyricism. Love them! Blue Rev is probably their best album, though the self-titled is pretty close to it for me. Glad to see them get some recognition on the list!
endelig et fedt album
De bedste sange her er helt vildt gode!
Frontloaded album. Loved the shoegaze parts, but turns more indie pop towards the end.
Reminded me of breathier Sydney Gish. It was pretty.
Always a little gunshy when it comes to something in the Shoegaze category - maybe not entirely fairly so. Fortunately this was a great listen that I really liked! Pleasant and very listenable.
A fantastic album from a band I adore. I actually have this album on Vinyl! Best Song: Belinda Says Rating: 8.0/10 Stars: 4
Excited that one of the new additions truly seems to belong on the list. Really fun indie/shoegaze album.
I didn't find this terribly compelling. It wasn't bad, just didn't really stick in my brain at all.
That was a lovely record!
Alvvays' debut album is one of my all time favourites but for some reason their subsequent albums never really caught on for me. I think the debut caught me in a moment in my life where it resonated with me, and now I've moved on. Wish I liked this more.
Very cool album, it manages to be modern sounding but emit a very nostalgic vibe. Each song feels eventful and interesting, with the vocals combining very well with the instruments. Would have a second listen, 4.5/5
This is more like it. A mix of shoegaze/dream/synth/indie/pop. The songs get in and get out, there's no fat here. It's a good record without a doubt, as are the rest of their catalogue. These band are well worth a listen, but maybe aren't quite there yet with having to be listened to before you die. Best Tracks: Pharmacist; Pomeranian Spinster; Belinda Says
It was interesting, at times I was thinking the guitar was amazing but I do agree with other reviews that it all blends in there's no distinct song to sink your teeth into
Finally, a perfect new addition
I really enjoy this one and I hope it has some staying power on future lists.
They have a pretty good sound, but every song sounded EXACTLY the same. I wanted to like this more than I did, because I like indie music and I like shoegaze, but man, this really just dragged on. It isn't bad by any means, but it could have been so much more... High 3.
7/10
Not bad
this is alvvays's best album, and i remember being very pleasantly surprised at their evolution when it came out, but i can't really see calling it essential enough for a list like this, especially when we're still lacking some of the artists that influenced it, i.e. yo la tengo
Not my bag, but not bad, as far as shoegaze goes. I'd be willing to listen to it without being forced.
Just ok
I’ve forgotten what this was already
Best Song: After The Earthquake. Pleasantly rock and roll. Worst Song: Fourth Figure. This felt like a Florence and The Machine song without the vocal power of Florence. A tepid ending to the album. Overall: Neither great nor terrible. I'm not entirely sure what this album did to deserve sudden inclusion in the list. It's crisp and clean, but it's not particularly exciting.
From a must listen to perspective - nope. Doesn't even do 1094 on the "personal adds list." Kinda appreciate the synths here and there but otherwise moving on.
Very one paced
Dream Pop! One of my favorite genres. I had at least one song from this band in a playlist already. A good album overall.
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It was pretty and different. I liked the combination of lyrics music vocals everything. Would listen again.
There was a Boston band in the 90s called Quivvver. So, nice try Alvvays but you still lose the battle of uncomfortably repeated awful Scrabble letters. Terrible cover, too. Seriously - on to what matters this is one of the better shoegaze-adjacent listens I've had - not really being a serious fan of the genre overall but this is giving me echoes of a more upbeat Sundays which I'm all for. And the shoegaze aesthetic is more in the only slightly-foggy production, mostly on the washed out vocals, and I love the effect. Overall the music is much more lush than I'd have expected. "Tile By Tile" a particular favourite here. (almost deducted points from that guitar solo in "Pharmacist" what on earth... an anomaly, thankfully.) This is really great and although hardly something that belongs in any 1001 category yet I will definitely listen again. 8/10 4 stars IMO: Belonged in the book? No.
I love whatever genre this is. Heavy distortion overlaid by a much gentler, almost soft-pop vocal. Shoegaze, but just a touch more melodic and approachable. That being said, 2022 is a little too recent to judge an album as having the monumental impact required to make this list. Pharmacist begins the album with some great guitarwork and a vocal matching my description above. No notes here; a near-perfect track. Easy On Your Own again stands out for that goddamn incredible singing, but also incorporates some great drum fills to allow for build-ups (and releases) of tension. Again, there's very little to suggest in the way of improvement. As if in direct response to my notes, After The Earthquake comes in with a heinously 80s-esque beat. Which, to its credit, it pulls off pretty nicely. The lead and bass guitars are the clear highlights. The percussion quality takes a nosedive. Tom Verlaine repeats the tension-and-release that worked so well a couple tracks prior. Pretty good, I daresay. Nice backing vocals that blur the mix to just the right brain-scratching extent. If you loved After The Earthquake, why not check out: Pressed? A slightly inferior version of the early track that has pretty much the same tempo, percussion style, and textures. It's similarly "good but not great". Many Mirrors is maybe the most completely dense track, audio-wise, so far. I can barely make out the lyrics. (In a good way!) Glad they wrote a song about me for track #7. It (Very Online Guy) sounds pretty nifty, too. Again pretty hard to make out the lyrics, but I've heard far worse. Velveteen has the lyric "Is she a perfect ten / Have you found Christ again". Can't get much better. (Well, you can, with some more virtuosic melodic lines and more interesting chord progressions, but those don't really mesh with this genre.) Tile By Tile is probably the best iteration of 80s-esqueness here, helped along greatly by those dang strings. Yet another fragment of evidence that strings make any song legendary (or much closer to it). Great synth instrumental, too. Pomeranian Spinster takes a very odd noise-punk approach, and it approaches monotony at points, but it's still a decent listen. Though the song is pretty strong – especially the softer section in the middle – Belinda Says really excels in its music video. Cool colour palette. Frustratingly, the album goes a little limp in the final track trio – particularly the nondescript closer Fourth Figure – yet all three are still leagues ahead of the best tracks from certain hip-hop or industrial rock records elsewhere on Dimery's list. (Admittedly, the electronic keyboard in the first half of Lottery Noises does make for a pretty sick contrast to the straightforward, upbeat Bored In Bristol. The intense second half of LN is also solid.) 4/5 Key tracks: Pharmacist, Easy On Your Own?, Tile By Tile
I'd listened to previous stuff by Alvvays and liked it well enough but this one had passed me by. But this is their strongest work by far IMO - I really enjoyed the shoegaze aspects to it especially. Passed my "listened twice in a row = five stars" test.
Blue Rev started quite well for me, kinda decent dreampop stuff, but I don't think it got better as it went on and the more shoegazey it got the less I enjoyed it. Probably a low 3, it feels a bit incomplete or unsure of itself.
Quite good
Sure, not bad
I'm so glad they added more albums to this list. Instead of making up for past misdeeds they've decided that a four year old album is already slotted to be as memorable to be inclusive of a list you must listen to before you die. The problem is, for such a recent, important album I've never heard of this band. Thanks to this list, my distant for shoe gaze is reminded again. 2/5
I listened to this one a couple of times, and I like it, but it never really captures my attention either. It's a fun, competently made album, but I just want it to have something more that makes it different from everything else, and that's where I generally feel like it falls a bit short. 3/5 Really torn between this and a 4, but ultimately I think it falls just short. Good, but not great
Yes I like
There’s some interesting stuff released in the last 10 years. Not this but I think we should put a 10 year limit. Most of these recent ones - not all of course - will disappear like tears in the rain to paraphrase Roy batty. Must listen shouldn’t be a fad. It should be a significant album of importance.
Not bad at all. It's as if My Bloody Valentine formed a supergroup with The Cardigans. A very easy listen, an indie pop version of easy listening..and that in itelf is a bit of a worry. I think rock and roll needs a new revolution as everything is imploding right now.
Never really listened to Alvvays before even though they seem to be in my wheelhouse, or at least somewhere close to it. I guess this album is my chance to change that, but I'm struggling to connect with it tbh. I've listened through thrice now and for a lot of the time thought 'this sounds decent', but once it finished I struggled to remember any of it - it all blended into the background a bit too easily. Will give it the benefit of the doubt and presume that the songs will reveal themselves more with extra listens, but this album seems nailed on for instant removal from the next edition of the book.
I’ve already been listening to this a lot lately, and it’s just a really great album. They really nailed this sound.
2.6 Really tried with that one. Gave it 4 listens(!). Felt like I was missing something given how rave the reviews were, particularly with it being a genre I usually quite like. My Bloody Valentine vibes with a bit of the Smiths/britpop mixed in. And yet... it just really doesn't do it for me. Shoegaze elements weren't shoegazey enough and no one can emulate the smiths, they were too unique.
This was actually a pretty cool listen and I think I’d really fw it as the soundtrack to a party or something. But does it deserve a spot on this list??? I don’t think so. High 3
Yesss, one of my faves from this decade
This was described as shoegaze, but it's a little aggressive for that. All the same comment not very memorable.
3.7 - This album feels interchangeable with albums of the era that would have received a “Best New Music” designation on Pitchfork. Somehow this particular record slipped from my radar. It has all the trappings of “good”indie-dance-pop-rock of that era. I like the dream poppy guitar reminiscent of Cocteau Twins. I like the lo-fi vocal reverb. For a solid 38 minutes it gives a consistent, upbeat, mid-tempo vibe, though I struggle to remember any one song or any standout moments.
Pretty fun indie rock record here. Its poppy and hazy sounding but I like the little bits of guitar that push to the front of the mix. Solid choice for a more modern shoegaze record. It's weird for me to explain since I enjoyed it, but it never fully commanded my attention either.
Ok, so this is a pretty new album. I like it, although I guess this is one of those albums that requires a few listens to be fully appreciated. In any case, it is at least 3 stars. Actually it's in the 3,5 range, but I'm not sure if it reaches the 4 star threshold. Probably yes. It is also good that the album quite short, with direct songs that sound quite different from each other. Some songs I enjoyed: ""Pharmacist", "After The Earthquake", "Easy On Your Own?", "Pressed", "Very Online Guy", "Velveteen", "Tile By Tile", or "Belinda Says" (probably my favourite). By the way, most of these songs are better in their live arrangements. And, in any case, glad this was added to the project (otherwise I may have never heard this album...or even this band).
It was okay, nothing really stood out good or bad.
Wow. This album's really great! It's pretty rare to hear a modern indie album on this list specifically that's actually good enough to be in the top 1001 albums ever, but I think this one might make the cut! Alvvays are a band that I've heard of before, but that I knew nothing about prior to now. I'm really glad I know of them now, because I guess I like their music. Blue Rev is only their third album, which is kinda crazy since their first was in 2014, but already they've managed to stand out in good ways. Their sound is really cool. It's a great blend of shoegaze and power pop and I don't think I've heard anything quite like that before. It might be the first album I've heard for this new batch of albums that actually feels like it's doing something new and innovative. I dig it. Of course, innovation can only take you so far if your actual songs suck. It's a good thing the songs on Blue Rev are all great. The opening three-track run of "Pharmacist," "Easy on Your Own?," and especially "After the Earthquake" make for an excellent first impression. "Pressed" is basically the band trying to make a Smiths song and it's great. "Tile By Tile" and "Belinda Says" are a bit slower but just as nice to listen to. There's nothing really comparable to filler on here, which I fully welcome. Molly Rankin's voice is very nice. The music and production are awesome. Blue Rev is just a great album. Is it the first indie album of 2022 that I'd add to a list like this? Probably not. I feel like Ants From Up There by Black Country, New Road would've been a more striking and exciting pick, but I'm not complaining at all about Blue Rev being here. It's a really cool album that I'm glad I heard. Easily the best of the newly added albums that I've heard yet, though the Billie Eilish album is a close second. High 4/5.
Shoegaze pop, and it's great.
Sounds good. Reminds me of older bands that didn't make the book, like Lush and Belly. I like how it's a wall of sound, but you can still tell the songs apart and it's still catchy. I'm not sure how essential this is, given that Lush and Belly are largely overlooked these days. But it's good.
Stellar choice, and an album that’s been on constant rotation for me since the release. A perfect balance between shoegaze and unbelievably catchy tunes. Easy listening, but in every positive meaning of the phrase.
Pleasantly surprised to find Alvvays here. On Blue Rev Alvvays dive further into the shoegaze inspiration, pushing their catchy songwriting even further, proving that you need Irish sounding last names to be able to handle the genre properly.
Wednesday, 22 October, 2026 Dream poppy and fine.
Alvvays share more with Chvrches than just dodgy spelling I liked this but I can't say that anything stood out, whereas the Chvrches record felt like it had a greater variety in it's sound Good but not great
8/10. Ah, at last, a happy medium between The Beths and the Cocteau Twins.
Not necessarily my cup of tea but easy listening that was a worthwhile addition to the list. 7/10
A reasonable indie act. I don't care for the singer's style much. Passable, but I just can't put it in "I like it" territory.
I knew more of these songs than I realized. I was into the dream pop/showcase vibe. Will be coming back to this one.
Makes some interesting and engaging choices, but it never quite completes the picture for me.
Och varför har den här lagts till på listan? Inte särskilt bra i ärlighetens namn. Blir tyvärr bara en tvåa från lilla mig.
This was an album I considered submitting for the user list and I've been surprised no one had submitted it until the announcement of the revised edition. This is one of my favourite albums and I've listened to, according to my last.fm stats, at least 100 times since it was released. I've seen Alvvays live 5 times since 2023 and I'll see them many more times when they decide to drop their next album. This is a band where I can't name a single bad or even filler song. All three of their records are perfect from start to finish (I have every single song liked on my spotify). They haven't missed. I love this album start to finish and know every song backwards and forwards. It's so damn catchy and such great production. These songs sound amazing live too. My personal rating: 5/5 My rating relative to the list: 5/5 Should this have been included on the original list? Strong yes. Excellent choice.
Good for background music for the office.
Favorite Track: Belinda Says
On reconnaît les bons vieux goûts de Rob ici, comme quoi, on délaisse jamais vraiment ses racines. Honnêtement, je m’ennuyais de chialer sur Rob pendant mes écoutes, c’est pas la même chose que sur des randos d’internet
Liking this so far, about half-way through. It at times reminds me of a more upbeat Japanese Breakfast. Very pop-y, but with lots of cool little harmonic turns. It started to lost some steam for me in the second half of the album, but overall not bad. 3.25/5
Fun album. I liked it quite a bit. Sometimes it reminded me of like The Smiths without Morrissey. 4/5
Decent album. Some of the tracks started to be memorable. Wikipedia says they are "shoegaze" influenced and I'm still not sure what that genre is all about.
I think it’s possible to enjoy something, but not understand why it’s on this list, rather than a half dozen other acts with fuzzy guitars and ethereal female singers.
The comparison to mbv is apt but unfortunately I don't really like mbv. Despite that, I do really enjoy some of this album - especially when they sound more like a new wave, janglier version of the Smiths (After the Earthquake, Pressed.) But this required repeated listening to distinguish between songs, and even then, it was mostly fine. Maybe high 3 low 4 kind of situation, and grading up for today because I like some of their other music - and do really enjoy the songs that sound less like mbv.
Love it. All the positive energy of Phoebe Bridgers or Boy Genius. Smart, indie poppy, what will happen next, great voice, just right there again and again guitars. Hard to pick one song to say "this is their sound"--the great adventures just keep coming. Very Online Guy, for example, contains multitudes. The others are gold mines too. 39 minutes with nary a slip-up.
This was fine, though not a lot of variety. I thought the album had started from the top when Lottery Noises played as the melody sounded like something I had already heard.
As this played on, it really grew on me
VVell done. Sad priest?
Not my cup of tea.
*Blue Rev* represents a decisive turning point for Alvvays, where the Toronto band transformed from masters of concise, jangly indie pop into architects of dense, chaotic, and emotionally resonant noise-pop. Released in 2022 after a five-year gap filled with adversity (theft, floods, and a pandemic), the album is widely regarded as their magnum opus—a work that marries the immediacy of their early hooks with a newfound sonic aggression and lyrical sophistication . ### 🎤 Lyrics: Cinematic Detours and Collegiate Wit Molly Rankin’s songwriting on *Blue Rev* eschews straightforward diaristic confession for something more akin to short stories or "little movies" . The lyrics are packed with hyper-specific, often collegiate imagery and cultural references that reward close reading. - **Specificity and Humor**: The record is filled with memorable character studies, from the disaffected youth of "Easy On Your Own?" to the sharp-tongued kiss-off of "Pomeranian Spinster," which Robert Christgau noted levels insults with "anticlericalism" ("Presbyterian ministers / Travel in packs and never split") . - **Nostalgia and Place**: The title itself refers to a cheap Canadian vodka cooler, and tracks like "Belinda Says" ground the listener in East Coast nostalgia (skating rinks, Inverness) while grappling with adult consequences like unplanned pregnancy . - **Literary Flair**: Rankin’s phrasing is consistently sharp and unpretentious. Lines like "Drive-through crying in a milkshake" ("After the Earthquake") or the crushing breakup observation on "Lottery Noises" demonstrate a unique ability to blend the mundane with the devastating . ### 🎸 Music: Controlled Chaos and Power-Pop Architecture Musically, *Blue Rev* is a maximalist achievement. While the band built its reputation on clean, 12-string jangle, here they submerge those melodies in a wall of fuzz, synthesizers, and distortion without losing the pop core. - **Shoegaze and Noise**: The opening track, "Pharmacist," explodes out of the gate with a screeching, feedback-drenched guitar solo that signals a shift toward My Bloody Valentine-style noise pop . Tracks like "Many Mirrors" and "Pressed" feature intricate, interlocking guitar lines that recall Johnny Marr’s work with The Smiths, but bathed in a thicker, hazier atmosphere . - **Structural Adventurousness**: The songs are restless. Rankin and guitarist Alec O’Hanley cram bridges, tempo shifts, and key changes into sub-three-minute runtimes. "Belinda Says" notably utilizes a massive, uplifting key change borrowed from Belinda Carlisle’s "Heaven Is a Place on Earth," turning a song about hardship into a strangely triumphant anthem . ### 🎛️ Production: The Shawn Everett Method The production by Shawn Everett (known for his work with The War on Drugs and Kacey Musgraves) is arguably the album's defining feature. The process was designed to capture raw energy and then meticulously destroy it. - **Live-to-Tape Origins**: The band recorded the album live off the floor in just two full takes, with only seconds between songs. This gives the performances a frantic, unhinged energy, particularly in Sheridan Riley’s drumming . - **Textural Layering**: Everett then spent weeks "roughing up" these clean takes. The result is a dense, headphone-friendly mix where synth arpeggios, vocal delays (like the glitchy effect on "Very Online Guy"), and guitar feedback fight for space. It is a "medium-fi" aesthetic that feels simultaneously precise and messy . ### 💡 Themes: Transition, Regret, and Forging Ahead Beneath the noise, *Blue Rev* is an album about the vertigo of early adulthood and the inevitability of change. - **The Post-Grad Malaise**: Many songs deal with the uncertainty of leaving the "lettered life" of academia behind. "Easy On Your Own?" directly addresses the paralysis of choice and the fear of stagnating . - **Resilience and Reinvention**: Despite the anxiety, there is a thread of defiant optimism. "Belinda Says" finds a character choosing to keep a baby and move to a small town, finding a strange kind of heaven in a difficult situation . The album frequently explores how people (especially outcasts and "spinsters") carve out their own paths when traditional structures fail . ### 🌍 Influence and Legacy *Blue Rev* served as a critical breakthrough, cementing Alvvays' place at the forefront of modern indie rock. It received widespread acclaim, landing on numerous year-end lists and earning the band their first Grammy nomination for "Belinda Says" . Its influence lies in how it successfully updated the power-pop template for a generation raised on shoegaze and streaming—proving that aggressive, noisy production and sweet, memorable melodies are not mutually exclusive. It set a new benchmark for the "dream-power pop" genre . --- ### ⚖️ Pros and Cons **Pros:** - **Dense, Rewarding Production**: The layers of noise and texture mean the album reveals new details on every listen; it is a triumph of studio craft that never sounds sterile . - **Songwriting Depth**: Rankin’s lyrics are sharp, funny, and emotionally cutting, avoiding clichés while tackling complex feelings of nostalgia and dread . - **Energy and Performance**: The live-to-tape rhythm section provides a propulsive backbone that makes the chaotic noise feel grounded and urgent . **Cons:** - **Wall-of-Sound Fatigue**: For some listeners, the relentless fuzz and heavily compressed mix can become fatiguing or cause the individual tracks to blend into a "same-y" blur, obscuring Rankin's vocals . - **Reduced Immediate Accessibility**: Compared to the clean jangle of their debut or the sharp pop of *Antisocialites*, the challenging soundscapes and less predictable structures here may require more patience from casual listeners .
I was happy to see some more Canadian representation, but this sounds like an entire album of b-sides.
It was fine
Shoegaze, twee pop, noise pop, power pop. Ni fu ni fa.
NOT first listen It’s 🇨🇦🇨🇦Can Con today, believe it or not. And I can honestly say, if you’re going to update the list with one more Canadian band you can do much worse than Alvvays. A crush in university recommended Alvvays, but it took the buzz surrounding their third album to finally take the plunge beyond the odd song (like "Marry Me Archie"). I enjoyed it but I wasn't over the moon for it. The dream pop haze kind of made the whole album float by, with no clear standout. I was also a stupid person back then, which may have influenced my opinion. Every time I hear this album, it gets better. Makes me wonder how many favourites I am currently unaware of, since I didn't give them the time to properly settle into my bones. "No clear standout" has hereby changed to mean "almost every song could be the best song". Comparing this to other albums from the 2026 edition of the book, I'm definitely sensing a pattern. On one hand, Brat and Hit Me Hard and Soft are pretty on-point when it comes to modern pop. Yet, the St. Vincent is reverent towards 90's alt-rock, and the new Chem Bros and Cure albums are obviously indebted to their earlier work from the 90's and before (not that it makes those albums less enjoyable). Blue Rev is in many ways a love letter to the 1980's, with jangle pop, new wave, synthpop and of course the innovations of the Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine being combined here. So maybe the 1001 writers aren't too interested in new developments in music, but they still found a real gem despite their tunnel vision. Not only is it a great distillation of its influences, but it's also a remarkably pretty set of tunes. HL: "Belinda Says" (that KEY CHANGE), "Pharmacist", "Easy On Your Own", "Tom Verlaine", "Velveteen", "Tile By Tile", "Bored in Bristol" October 20, 2026
I love it very much even though I prefer Antisocialites. Still a 5/5.
I want to try to enjoy every album on here if I can, but sometimes one just doesn't resonate, even one as critically acclaimed as this. Oh well, I'll probably love the next one. This one? Ne\/er Again.
The new revision of the book seems to be out because I was surprised this popped up this morning. As I was inching closer to the finish line, it looks like it is extended by a bit. This is one of the banger additions to the list thankfully. Such a fantastic album
This was more painful than I anticipated from the cover and summary. The vocals and music are fully skewed to a high-pitched treble mix that completely lacks any bass and lower-end depth. It's like listening to a whole album of just the piercing falsettos and high-end treble of a-ha's "Take on Me." 39 minutes seemed like 2 hours.
I found this pleasant without being particularly mind blowing. The vocsls are soft and had a nice tone. They made the choice to beef up the arrangements rather than tend into wishy washy and there were some ok songs here. What makes this worthy of being s new addition, I have no idea.
I enjoyed the dreamy vocals. This album didn't strike me as anything special but it was a nice enough listen today.
The first new one that I knew! And what a treat this is. I listened on record, as nature intended, and had a right old blast. There's a bit of shoegaze, a bit of power pop, a little bit of straight up indie, and it's all very singable. Looking back at my (very normal to have and retain) top 30 albums of 2022, this came in number four, only behind an all-timer from Sharon Van Etten, a Tomberlain record and an album called I Saw The Egg by Battle Ave, which I suspect isn't one of the remaining eight albums on this Project.
Not bad indie stuff. Sure it's fine. Sounds decently full from a sound view. I can see someone being 20 and loving this. This is one of many albums that is well done and I forgot everything about the second it finished
This makes me feel crazy. It wipes my memory at the end of every track. The engineering seems pretty good. I don't really have any complaints.
3.6/5
Fun, Sounds from 20 years before it's time
Аче норм тема Хз правда кто это но ник прикольный на саундтрек хорошо бы сгодилось
Cool but not for me.
Quite fun and energetic, but they lost me in the second half
This is extremely disappointing. Not just a Canadian band but a Canadian band from the Maritimes makes it on the list and absolutely nothing on this album spoke to me. I'm unfortunately not a shoegaze guy but, more than that, I can't tell what distinguishes this album from hundreds upon hundreds of very similar sounding features released in the last 15 years or so. I apologize to Alvvays for not being able to bridge that gap between us. I appreciate you very much, I don't like your music.
Didn't know shoe gaze could be this good.
Not a fan of hippie indie folk pop. But because I have heard so much worse...I gave it 2
It's okay. A couple good songs, and the rest are mostly forgettable. 2.5/5 Might listen again
It's good! I did find that I was checking often to see how much longer I had to go. It was right in the middle for me.
my favourite alvvays album… so lovely
Dieses Album fährt wie ein unscheinbarer Bus vor – und dann merkst du, dass es ein verdammter Raumschiff‑Start war. Alvvays klingen hier, als hätten sie Shoegaze mit Espresso versetzt: alles flirrt, alles drängt, alles leuchtet. Pharmacist ist ein Schlag ins Herz, Belinda Says ein Schlag in die Dieses Album fährt wie ein unscheinbarer Bus vor – und dann merkst du, dass es ein verdammter Raumschiff‑Start war. Alvvays klingen hier, als hätten sie Shoegaze mit Espresso versetzt: alles flirrt, alles drängt, alles leuchtet. Pharmacist ist ein Schlag ins Herz, Belinda Says ein Schlag in die Sterne.Hoch lebe Morrissey 🤪
1. pharmacizt - 0 2. eazy - 2 3. quake - 1 4. tom - 2 5. prezz - 1 6. many - 1 7. guy - 2 8. velvet - 1 9. tile - 2 10. zpin - 2 11. zayz - 1 12. bored - 2 13. lottery - 2 14. figure - 2
It takes the sugar-sweet melodies of 80s new wave and C86 indie-pop and smashes them into a roaring wall of shoegaze guitars. If you enjoy layered guitar work, brilliant hooks, and fuzzy production, Blue Rev is a total triumph.
Who needs to be in tune anyway?
Not a fan of this music at all. 2 stars or D.
It's fine. Just an album of middle of the road 2020s style indie music. Not bad, but nothing jumped out at me.
had this hit me at a different point in time, i would have been very interested. as it was, i did like it quite a bit. 3.5
I admit, I have not paid any attention to Alvvays beyond their unavoidable, mid-2010s coffeeshop staple "Archie, Marry Me" which makes me want to rip my hair out with twee. This did not sound different enough or, imo, at all interesting? I'm happy for them to have found a Sound I guess but it rly doesn't speak to me
I had a couple of false starts with this album but wound up liking it once I sat and listened to it all. I think it was just a bit slow to start and catchier by the end.
This is something I broadly Don’t Like, in that it has some of the flavour of indie pop from my youth but was made 20 years later. On the other hand it pretty consistently had interesting chord progressions and creative vocal melodies, which you don’t always find around. On the third hand, there being a song called Tom Verlaine irritated me in a way I couldn’t really put my finger on, which is strange because the third hand has like so many fingers. I guess I don’t feel right about punishing something I can’t put my finger on. This was fine-to-good.
Yay!!!! Good music!!!! I definitely want to listen to this album more Highlights: Pharmacist (fav) After the Earthquake Tom Verlaine Pressed Very Online Guy
I wanted to like it… there were parts I enjoyed and then that went away quickly
Oh boy how happy am I to see this album on this list, and yet it’s almost unexpected as well. This is one of my favorite indie rock/alt rock albums of the early 2020s that is chock full of bangers from front to back. The songwriting is absolutely incredible (see “Belinda Says”, a song about an unwanted pregnancy among other facets of life) and is backed by really solid instrumentation that puts other shoegaze adjacent bands to shame. Every song on here is a must-listen, like “Very Online Guy” and “After the Earthquake”. It’s fucking awesome.
The least interesting of their 3 albums, hope this is not on here at the expense of the others. Some nice tunes, some good variation and still cracking vocals. Gain an extra star for their other albums which are better and should be on this list over this one.
Pretty good, nice vocals. High 3/5
Great
After The Earthquake // Very Online Guy // 3.5/5
Not for me. I'm not a fan of this kinda style of music really. It just has too much reverb, chorus/delay that it all starts to feel kinda washed out for lack of a better word. It's supposed to give a dreamy feeling to the music but it doesn't do any of that for me.
Already a firm favourite, but a proper critical listen today only reinforces why I love this kind of music. Gorgeous melodies, noisy guitars and layers that keep revealing themselves. Not quite a masterpiece, but it’s bloody close.
Disco con buena voz femenina, canciones más cercanas al pop que al rock, un tanto de ritmo intermedio, sin excesivas florituras. Estilo de los que da la sensación de abundar más de un grupo. Nada de estridencias.
Year-end best-ofs and other lists have at least one thing going for them: they give us a chance to revisit important releases that might otherwise have slipped through the cracks. Given the near-ubiquity of Alvvays’ third album on North American year-end lists — and its consistently high placement, to boot — it would seem that, at least on paper, I missed something back in October 2022, before those lists appeared. As it turns out, *Blue Rev* is unquestionably the Canadian quintet’s finest album to date, vindicating the critical acclaim. Errare humanum est, I’ll admit, if only under my breath. Looking back on our mistakes and realising what we’ve missed along the way is, rather ironically, one of Molly Rankin’s favourite subjects on this record, particularly when it comes to romantic relationships. Since the Canadian singer-guitarist and fellow guitarist Alec O’Hanley are a couple both onstage and off, it’s tempting to read a strong autobiographical streak into these songs — as when, in the aptly titled “Tom Verlaine”, she compares her former admiration for her (fictional?) partner to the musical infatuation she once felt for the Television frontman. A little message for someone in particular? Or just the listener reading too much into it? Either way, Molly deserves credit for steering clear of melodrama, favouring instead a generous poetic licence packed with clever turns of phrase and flashes of wit. Whether she’s writing about relationship troubles, returning home or the personal missteps that come with our digital habits, her lyrics continually soften the edges with little observations that are by turns empathetic, bittersweet and fatalistic, capturing situations in which just about anyone can recognise a little of themselves. Errare humanum est, once again. We can also put our minds at ease about the Rankin-O’Hanley partnership when it comes to songwriting and arrangements. The proof lies in the infectious melodies, intricate jangle-pop guitar work and shoegaze echoes that run throughout the record, from “Early On Your Own?” to “Belinda Says”. A handful of irresistible, sometimes languid choruses start making themselves at home after a single listen, putting their feet up on your coffee table just as Molly puts her foot in it. Unexpected bridges, breaks and drops soon come crowding in behind them, shifting harmonic patterns and stirring up textures along the way. Kerri MacLellan’s subtle synth touches push the whole thing further towards an Eighties aesthetic that still feels fresh and relevant today. There’s a lot going on here — perhaps a little too much at times for listeners who could use a breather from a mix that buries Rankin’s already ethereal voice in a perpetual whirlwind of treble. Thankfully, the rest of Shawn Everett’s production and the album’s overall charm eventually win us over. To err is human, indeed, and none of the missteps here comes close to undermining the album’s overall success. This musical whirlwind is also a whirlwind of references, providing some useful landmarks as we make our way from one track to the next. From the very first seconds of the vibrant opener “Pharmacist”, O’Hanley’s effects pedals evoke those of Kevin Shields — an unmistakable nod that is merely the first in a long line. Whatever card they draw, Rankin and O’Hanley know how to play it. Early REM? No problem: “After The Earthquake” is on the table within the first few deals. A The Smiths card? Enter the aptly named “Pressed”, which has nothing to envy in “Bigmouth Strikes Again” or “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out”. O’Hanley can switch from Peter Buck’s playing style to Johnny Marr’s with the confidence of a young firebrand, giving Rankin the opportunity to pay her own small tribute to Morrissey with a grace that the original has long since lost. One last notable homage goes to Broadcast and the late Trish Keenan, on magnificent electro-vintage tracks such as “Very Online Guy” and “Bored In Bristol”. The gestation of *Blue Rev* was a long one, beset by obstacles: gradual changes to the rhythm section’s line-up, band members stranded on opposite sides of the US-Canadian border during lockdowns, and so on. Given Alvvays’ deft, purposeful use of musical references, we can’t help thinking that the seeds of this lovely record were timeless enough from the outset to survive yet another delay in its making. Hopefully, that goes some way towards excusing our own belated discovery of this very endearing album. *The original French version of this review -- also written by me -- appeared on the music website Mowno. You can find it here*: https://www.mowno.com/disques/alvvays-blue-rev/ 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list dedicated to essential albums, rounded up to 4 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 for the musicianship and production values + 3.5 for the artistry) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 + 1 (addition to the 2026 edition of the book) Albums from the original list I *might* select for mine later on: 289 (including this one addition to the 2026 edition) Albums from the original list I won't select for mine: 336 + 2 (other additions to the 2026 edition of the book) ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 124 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 142 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 319
This is a banger - don't know how I've missed it
Shoegaze, twee pop, noise pop, power pop. Ni fu ni fa.
Solid album. Listened through a half dozen times. Listened to their first album as well. The vocals were the standout part for me.
Listened to this a few times and it has failed on each listen to leave a lasting impression. At its best it reminds me of a more shoegazey Japanese Breakfast (and I really like JB). But for whatever reason this just fails to connect with me at any emotional level. Fine sounds, but I can't say I'll remember this one in a week or two. Low 3.
Some cool poppy sounds. Solid I suppose.
This reminds me a ton of Japanese Breakfast, and just like Japanese Breakfast I like it but it's missing something. I hear some random Beach House too but doesn't compare to them. Straddles the high 3 low 4 on this one.
Life changing add! Just kidding, it's fine. Revverb and friends
Robert Dimery just has an alert set up for any time an album drops that uses the word "Shoegaze", right? He definitely does. Honestly I liked this quite a bit. Indie in the way that I enjoy, not too fuzzy or shoegazey.
Pretty decent
So De-Loused in the Comatorium was removed to make room for this. Really?!!!
I'ma basic bitch when it comes down to it, and this is a bit too clever for me There's tonnes of layers and stuff going on that probably passed over my head. I'm not a massive fan of the way the lyrics sound here either: there's not very much that hooked me in I mean, it's *OK*, but nothing more than that really and I can't see myself ever listening to it again
Robert Dimery I will never understand the machinations of your mind
Me fait autant penser à des groupes des années 1980 qu'à d'autres plus actuels comme les Beaches. Entre synthétiseurs et rythmes rock emballés, prêts à décoller. À la fois frais et mature.
Nice, I could get into that
Ain't no good, I just fint shoegaze insufferable. If this were more purely poppy, I'd be here for it more. But it isn't, so I'm not.
Alright we're back in it baby! And I am honored to be perhaps the first person to review this Alvvays record for the 1001 Albums Generator. I've listened to this album since it was released and always found it a little forgettable. I definitely prefer their previous album Antisocialites to this as its more hook-y and whimsical. This is still a solid listen but I think the editors picked the wrong Alvvays album here. 7/10
I think this is the first of the new batch of albums. Liked it, but I still find it weird that awkward and geeky shoegaze has been resurrected as very extrovert pop.
Got this sitting on my wall in my office
That kind of maximalist, indie-inflected pop sound that conveys a sense of power but I often feel like ends up as kind of a muddy mix. I liked this fine but it didn't really distinguish itself to me.
Ett sammelsurium av ljud. Inga minnesvärda refränger. Ändå inte helt oävet. Gillar After The Earthquake och Belinda Says.
Dull.
New edition, new album. Sounded fun
3.75
Bright and breezy guitar jangle pop from 2022. This is nice. Certainly a pleasant listen. I quite like it. It's not pushing any boundaries, but, really, what's wrong with making a nice guitar jangle pop record? This is a positive review. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Tile By Tile Date listened: 27/10/26