Like most of the songs from Alvvays spectacular self-titled debut album, Ones Who Love You is some sweet indiepop. The album topped the US college charts. I didn’t even know they had college charts until now. This is the third song to appear here from the album after their previous entries Next of Kin and Archie, Marry Me. They gave a powerhouse performance of some of these songs live on KEXP including today’s track (see below). Alvvays know their stuff; just listen to how the second verse is launched into as the guitar sound ramps up and then the snarly organ synth insertion. To me, the whole performance on KEXP is a bastion of great musicianship.
[Verse 1]
Take, take from the ones who love you, ooh
Leave, leave with the ones who don’t, ooh
Lie, lie to the ones who like you ooh
Lay, lay with the ones who won’t
[Verse 2]
They, they are the ones who love you, ooh
We, we are the ones who don’t, ooh
Hang up on the ones who need you, ooh
Watch out for the ones who won’t
[Chorus]
When lightning strikes
I will be on my bike
I won’t be stuck inside
I will be taking flight
And when the wheels come off
I’ll be an astronaut
But I won’t be lost in space
I will be skipping rocks
[Bridge]
When you live on an island
Nothing ever falls in place
The winters are violent
And you can’t ever feel your face
You can’t fucking feel your face
Alvvays (pronounced “always”) is a Canadian indie pop band formed in 2011, originating from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and subsequently based in Toronto, Ontario. Molly Rankin, the group’s singer-songwriter, is the daughter of John Morris Rankin, a fiddler with the Celtic folk family collective the Rankin Family, who enjoyed international success in the 1990s. Rankin grew up in Mabou, Nova Scotia, writing music with her neighbour, keyboardist Kerri MacLellan. She later met guitarist and partner Alec O’Hanley at a concert. With the help of O’Hanley, Rankin quietly released a solo extended play titled She in 2010. Alvvays was formed the following year, with Rankin recruiting MacLellan, O’Hanley, drummer Phil MacIsaac and bassist Brian Murphy.
Rankin picked the name Alvvays because it had a “shred of sentiment and nostalgia.” The spelling of the band name was due to the fact that there was already a band named Always signed to Sony.
I find Alvvays music just really puts me into a really pleasant mood. It takes me back to when I was about their age and just enjoying the carefree spirit of youth. They also conduct themselves unabashedly normal for a successful pop group which is refreshing.
References:
1. Alvvays – Wikipedia
2. Music representing the dissonance of loss: Molly Rankin and ‘Archie, Marry Me’ – mialondonblog
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
I love the way she plays that guitar….
How they launch in the second verse gets me going. Alvvays will be touring Australia next year. Check out there ‘Archie, Marry Me’. There are so many great songs on that album.
I really like them..
A lovely song Matt, and I though I’m not terribly familiar with very many of their songs, I really like their sound. In checking the Wikipedia link you shared, I see that only one of their singles, “Easy On Your Own?”, has charted in the U.S., reaching #32 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart last year.
I was just listening to ‘Easy on Your own’ – what a song! I always have you to count on Jeff.
That makes me happy Matt!
I just shared ‘Easy on Your own’ with love ones. It’s got the big thumbs up. It’s almighty esp on KEXP.
Totally with you on the brilliant Alvvays. Archie, Marry Me is surely a masterpiece of musical and lyrical dissonance which I tried to analyse in a recent post on mialondonblog.
Hi there and thanks for writing. I just finished reading your excellent article on Archie, Marry Me. If you don’t mind I’ll reference it my Monday’s feature – ‘News on the March’. Cheers.
Thanks for your positive feedback. You are welcome to share it