From a list of hundreds, 196 music journalists from across the country carefully decided the 10 best Canadian albums of which the winner of the 2023 Polaris Music Prize will be determined on September 19, live from Toronto’s legendary Massey Hall. In honour of this year’s vibrant list of nominees, Canadian Beats is examining the 10 nominees and celebrating the artists behind them.
Exciting with a hint of mellow relaxation, Alvvays latest album, Blue Rev, gives the listener a deep comfort in knowing that rock in both Canada and the world is going to be OK.
Combined with thoughtful exploration of the mundane realities of modern life and relationships, Alvvays brings a light and precise mixture of shoegaze and indie pop to the loudest and brightest tracks on Blu Rev that perfectly complement and enhance anyone’s need for deep concentration. The dreamy opener, “Pharmacist”, immediately sucks the listener into a soaring landscape of clear guitars of the highest altitudes, while “Tom Verlaine” and “Pressed” would easily become the supplementary soundtrack to any playthrough of your favourite cozy games.
Will Alvvays bring rock to the Polaris Music Prize spotlight? Find out by following CBC Music on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook, and at cbcmusic.ca/polaris, and follow Canadian Beats for more Polaris Music Prize coverage.