Alvvays – pronounced Always – love Brighton.
There were times at the start of their gig at Concorde 2 when it seemed they thought they were being interviewed for a job with the city’s tourist board, such was the flow of superlatives.
If they ever did move to East Sussex though, as they admitted had crossed their minds, the south coast would be all the better for it.
The Canadian natives added the coming-of-age sound of teenage romance to the classic indie-pop jangle of bands like Allo Darlin and Teenage Fanclub.
Vocalist Molly Rankin even has a name that sounds like a John Hughes film, but she’s got the charisma to match.
Battling through a cold, her voice sounded ridiculously pretty during when she took to the stage alone for an encore of Red Plane.
The band’s charm lay in the complete package though. Archie, Marry Me and Adult Diversion both lived up to their billing as two of the catchiest tunes from the past 12 months, full of woozy surf guitar and bubblegum melody.
By the time they’re back in Brighton – and by the sound of it, they’ll be back as soon as they can – hopefully they’ll bring more of the same with them.
Four stars
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