Not My Baby | Alvvays

Sarah Beltran

Alvvays bumps it up a notch on the stereo with the release of their sophomore album Antisocialites. Their sound grew spunkier, as they begin to experiment further with motion and variety within each song. An especially driven song from the new album, “Not My Baby,” tells the story of heartbreak and the inconsistent feelings that come after.

“Not My Baby” has an urgency not seen before from the Canadian indie-pop group. Racing rhythms coalesce  exciting melodies, all charged by the song’s empowered lyrics. However, what really brings this song to the listener is the variation — fast to slow, flowing to sharp, loud to soft.  People can connect to this inconsistency, because that is what the twirling and changing emotions of a break-up feels like. All of this beautifully chaotic musical construction is reflected throughout the lyrics, like the lovely line “Traded my rose-colored shades for a wide lens” and the play on the word “silence” as all the instruments cut out. Ultimately, the song frees you with fading melodies and echoes, sending you off in a soul-surfing bliss as you leave that ex (you know which one) in the dust.

If you want to hear their story live, you can catch Alvvays on Nov. 4 at The Magic Stick in Detroit.