Beloved rock band Alvvays returned last month with the single "Pharmacist" and news of their forthcoming album—their first since 2017's Antisocialites—titled Blue Rev, which is out October 7 via Polyvinyl. Although five years isn't an insane amount of time to produce a collection of songs, it was not the band's intention to keep us waiting that long. In addition to the pandemic, a burglar swiped the group's demos from vocalist Molly Rankin's apartment and the next day a flood ruined the band's gear. For whatever reason, the universe did not want the world to have another Alvvays album—though the universe is running out of time to prevent the release of Blue Rev.
Today, the band has shared the latest single from that release, "Easy on Your Own?" The track begins with a tangle of wiry distortion and a faint chugging drumbeat before the band enters in full swing. Rankin's yearning vocals washed in reverb recall indie rock mainstays like The Strokes or The Vaccines. The lyrics list a spectrum of major life changes—dropping out of college, the dissolution of a relationship—all leading up to one dire question for the chorus: "Does it get easy on your own?" All at once, it feels like a cathartic cry for blissful independence, stability, and peace.
Listen to "Easy on Your Own?" below.
