Live Review: Alvvays, Major Leagues

Ahead of the first ever Brisbane appearance of Canadian jangle-pop crew Alvvays, there's a real buzz in the crowd. It's a buzz that manifests itself in movements reminiscent of the Lollapalooza episode of The Simpsons sure, but it's a buzz nonetheless. The lustre of the band's 2014 self-titled album obviously has not tarnished, and cannot be tarnished by this unfortunate Tuesday night scheduling for the show.

Kicking things off are local quartet Major Leagues. Make no mistake, Major Leagues go together on the same bill as tonight's headliners like macaroni goes with cheese. With all the melodic edge of The Breeders and the grungy bombast of the Silversun Pickups, the quartet are quick to find their distortion pedals but smart enough to know when to relent so the vocal melodies can hit home. The balanced approach really works too — when the drummer pedals out that classic support band chestnut and asks people to come and stand up closer, people actually get up from their comfortable seats in the wings and go to the stage. Lest all support bands assume some kind of, frankly dangerous, precedent has been set here, it's really only due to Major Leagues' abilities and being in front of a crowd so willing to pick up what they're throwing down. As the band continue to let their fuzz pedals do the talking, they do better than Charlie Sheen on a baseball diamond with the aid of glasses. And good work to you if you got that quite dated joke.

Led by a bright-eyed Molly Rankin, who is cracking jokes in between songs and hitting high notes that would make Bethany Cosentino green with envy, Alvvays are quick to get in the crowd's pocket. And the crowd, all still milling around front-of-stage, respond with delight as the quintet ventures into each number. The 18 or so months spent touring their debut record has given songs like Ones Who Love You and The Agency Group a chance to evolve into polished pop gems. It also doesn't hurt that the mix in The Brightside is spot on and allows the nuanced synths to come through without diminishing the punch the kick drum packs. Similarly, the guitar interplay between Rankin and Alec O'Hanley comes across as sounding dynamic and compelling. As the band ventures into tracks which have the audience positively salivating for at the prospect of a second album, the guitars achieve tones, divergent but totally complementary, that make songs like Adult Diversion big winners. It all sounds so good, by the time Alvvays reach the end of their set, everyone is just a little more pumped for that second album.