Live Review: Alvvays, Jade Imagine

After Body Type pulled out of the support slot earlier this week, standing in is Melbourne band Jade Imagine, who deliver 45 minutes of dreamy grunge ballads. The sold out venue fills quickly as they deliver haunting vocals and distorted guitar solos, all of which the crowd soaks right up. Playing tracks off their new album Basic Love, as a cheeky gesture they announce they will be selling vinyl LPs at the show tonight ahead of its release on Friday. The band serves as a perfect teaser to the main event.

Walking out to a heavy synth beat and glowing orange lights, the Toronto-based Alvvays take the stage and begin with an explosive performance of Hey off their 2017 album Antisocialites. They follow it up with crowd favourite Adult Diversion, and lead singer and guitarist Molly Rankin tells us, “My shoe just came off, I feel like Kevin Parker,” referencing the Tame Impala frontman’s tendency to play shows barefoot.

A stage backdrop of silver streamers and a spinning disco ball reminiscent of an ‘80s high school dance adds to an overarching feeling of nostalgia. In Undertow is a set highlight, the crowd screaming the lyrics as Rankin smiles and stands back to let us sing the chorus, absorbing the sheer bliss of everyone in the room.

Alvvays’ brutally honest lyrics and heart-tugging melodies are what truly sets them apart from other indie-pop bands. There’s something familiar about their melancholy yet hopeful sound that makes us feel like we’ve felt that pain before, whether in a movie or in our own lives. Between songs keyboardist Kerri MacLellan delivers shadowy synth solos, each chord hanging in the air as we impatiently await the next song. They never seem to let a moment go by without striking an emotional chord. 

The opening guitar riff of Atop A Cake awakens us from a daze, Rankin’s dreamy voice echoing and vibrating around the room. In a swift transition, the opening strumming of Archie, Marry Me sends the crowd into a frenzy, everyone jumping up and down with fists thrown in the air. The final portion of the set winds down with a few more songs off their 2014 self-titled album. Rankin pleads, “You don’t have to leave/You could just stay here with me,” in Party Police.

A buzzing synth lingers before they return for the encore, one attendee even covering his ears to block out the piercing noise. Saved By A Waif concludes the show with a powerful drum solo, big smiles spread across their faces as they leave the stage.