The Toronto indie pop outfit offer cheeky wit with deadpan delivery at their sold-out return to the capital. There are moments when you cannot help but believe that they are the best band on the planet.

By Findlay Anderson

“This is a lot of people to entertain at once. Whose idea was this?”, Molly Rankin gleefully asks as Alvvays kick off one of their biggest headline shows to date. 1,700 have gathered in the infamous Roundhouse to see one of the most talked-about bands on the indie circuit, the first opportunity since the release of the acclaimed Antisocialites last September.

An Alvvays song is a strange cocktail of spry energy and dreamy soundscapes but poisoned with lyrics of imperfect relationships and heartbreak. Their debut was a wistful collection of lush odes to the highs and lows of young love, encapsulated by the breakout hit Archie, Marry Me (“In the nighttime we go out and scour the streets for trouble”) centred around the fictitious yet wholly believable excitement of falling in love.

With their sophomore effort, Alvvays found a new voice. Vocalist Molly Rankin fought through the haze that clouds a majority of the songs, giving the band a somewhat punky edge. An added sense of urgency dominates the record with faster tempos and punchy grooves. Antisocialites was one of the best albums of 2017 and highlighted a critical moment where the troupe found themselves garnering popularity not just as indie, and critical, darlings but as a crucial injection of female representation in the music industry – three-fifths of the band are women.

Tonight the legendary Roundhouse – a venue that has hosted the likes of Bowie, The Rolling Stones and Ramones – sees a more understated group take the stage. After a fairly triumphant support slot from Spinning Coin, Alvvays calmly meander onto the stage. The front three – Alec O’Hanley, Rankin and keyboardist Kerri MacLellan – are all dressed like they’ve fallen straight out of a Willy Wonka dream, with Rankin and MacLellan in white and O’Hanley in a red-and-white striped shirt.

Opening with a blistering rendition of Hey off their most recent record, Alvvays start with confidence and direction, a signal of intent for what is to come. Adult Diversion and the brilliant Plimsoll Punks follow in quick succession. The crowd – very balanced between male and female – are unsurprisingly too considerate to fling themselves into a mosh-pit; instead a smattering of friends tap their feet and dance on the spot.

Alvvays dip their toes fairly into their back catalogue. 9 of the 10 tracks from album two get a live rendition tonight (Already Gone is the unlucky sacrifice) while 6 of the 9 from their self-titled debut are aired.

In truth it is the energetic numbers that shine the brightest. The pure fun ride of Saved By A Waif is a stand-out moment, with Molly Rankin almost shouting the chorus. The aforementioned Plimsoll Punks brings a cathartic rejoice to the event; its Bangles-esque melody is infectious. Meanwhile Lollipop (Ode To Jim) may start off reminiscing of Billy Idol’s Dancing With Myself, but it possesses a bubbly spirit that Idol never could.

Earlier cuts are treated with love and affection. Core set closer Party Police flexes Rankin’s beautiful falsetto while Atop a Cake‘s chantable hook (“What’s it gotta do with you? What’s it gotta do with me? How could I lose control when you’re driving from the backseat”) is hurled back with passion from the crowd.

While Alvvays are far from a one-hit wonder, Archie, Marry Me is treated as such tonight. When the opening notes slip out, the crowd erupts and hands are shoved into pockets, scrambling for phones. But if tonight’s setlist says anything about the band, it is that they have barely scratched the surface of their potential. Each song lands with perfect delivery.

Most gigs have a fairly predictable trend: eight great songs, then a couple bad ones from their new album, before three brilliant songs. Tonight the trend is smashed. Every song is amazing and the set highlights just how exciting this band are; whether it is a killer bridge, a groovy bass-line or eye-catching lyrics, all the songs are fantastic.

There is even time for a live offering of an unreleased B-side Pecking Order – maintaining the jangle pop that they have established, the layered vocals give it a The Chills-meets-The Big Moon vibe.

The band is tight and consistent; the setlist is ploughed through at an admirable pace but still gives time for some on-stage banter. Rankin praises London for being a great city and a supportive one, at one point even praising it for having great electrical power: “You have too much power. You can boil water in 15 seconds – you should consider that a privilege”. The crowd laughs suitably.

If one has to be picky, the only main drawback is that the gig is flawless. Throughout the night, Alvvays show time and time again how comfortable they are playing venues of this size – on their last tour they played the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, which has a larger capacity by 300. It would be interesting to have some unpredictability in the set. In all the distorted guitars, you do have an idea of how the event will pan out. There is not a sense of the gig being “special” which one does feel disappointed by as this is the London gig.

While the band stay still throughout the night, Molly Rankin continues her trajectory of becoming one of the best frontwomen in the industry. In stark contrast to the self-titled tour three years ago, she is having fun in between and during songs. Occasionally she yells a “Yeee” or a “Woo” as an instrumental break starts while dancing with herself.

The staging plays a big part in ensuring the intimacy of the event. With a live feed of the stage projected onto a large screen behind them, the venue feels smaller than it is – which is saying something. Often the screen shows extreme close-ups of instruments or band members that you have to pay too much attention to realise who it is. For Archie, Marry Me, a disco ball looms over the band. Each song is presented like a Doctor Who theme from the 1980s.

Tonight, Alvvays transports the audience back to the 1980s – it is as if you are watching a homecoming on VHS but the soundtrack is oh so much better. Alvvays have the songs and are becoming more exciting stage presences – it will not be long before they become one of the must-see live acts on this planet. With a bit more danger and uncertainty thrown in the mix, Alvvays could be a force to be reckoned with.

8/10

EDIT – In the original copy of the review, the writer noted that two-fifths of the band are women. This is incorrect. Drummer Sheridan Riley identifies as female. I apologise for this error.