"Pharmacist" is a single by Canadian indie pop band Alvvays, released on July 6, 2022 via Polyvinyl. The song is the opening track and first single from the band's 2022 album, Blue Rev.[1] The single is the band's first release since 2017's Antisocialites.[2]
| "Pharmacist" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Alvvays | ||||
| from the album Blue Rev | ||||
| Released | July 6, 2022 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:04 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | Alvvays | |||
| Producer(s) | Shawn Everett | |||
| Alvvays singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Composition and lyrics
edit"Pharmacist" is an indie pop,[3][4] shoegaze,[5][6][7] bedroom pop[4] and noise pop[8] song. The song ends with a guitar solo,[3] which NME described as "extravagant" and "ripping".[9] The track was compared to My Bloody Valentine's guitar-heavy shoegaze album, Loveless.[4][7] Lead vocalist Molly Rankin's vocals are low in the mix in comparison to the instrumental.[10][11]
The song's lyrics tell the story of unexpectedly meeting someone at a pharmacy.[3] NPR wrote the lyrics are "short and memorable, but don't necessarily portray any one narrative".[3] Loud and Quiet described the "vivid details" of the lyrics as creating a "beguiling short story".[12]
Critical reception
editQuinn Moreland of Pitchfork gave the song their "Best New Music" accolade.[4] Moreland wrote, "[the song] is overblown in all the right ways, with all the meticulously layered noise growing into a thicket around [Molly] Rankin's tender nostalgia".[4] Stereogum staff ranked the song first in their "The 5 Best Songs of the Week" list for the week of July 8, 2022.[10] They wrote, the song "sounds less like one of the their fully-formed indie-pop songs and more like an appetizer for the album".[10] BrooklynVegan described the song as a "big-sounding first taste of the album".[13]
Paste wrote on the track, the band "[makes] clear their intention to rough things up a bit".[14] Clash described the track as "an expansive opener, with snarling guitars that meld into empyreal enchantment".[15] NME compared the track to previous Alvvays works; they said Molly Rankin's vocals have a newfound clarity and Alec O'Hanley's guitars "swirl with more vengeance and energy than before".[9] BeatsPerMinute called the track a contender for song of the year.[7] They wrote, the track's "distortion and dreaminess is amped up from Antisocialites".[7]
References
edit- ^ Brodsky, Rachel (July 6, 2022). "Alvvays Announce New Album 'Blue Rev': Hear "Pharmacist"". Stereogum. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ Onanian, Nora (July 25, 2022). "Pick of the Week: Alvvays 'Pharmacist'". WERS. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Hernandez-Simeonidis, Sofie (July 7, 2022). "Alvvays, 'Pharmacist'". NPR. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Moreland, Quinn. "Alvvays: "Pharmacist"". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- ^ "Album Review: Alvvays - Blue Rev | Gigwise". www.gigwise.com. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ Anderson, Carys (July 6, 2022). "Alvvays announce new album Blue Rev, share "Pharmacist": Stream". Consequence. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Sentz, Tim (October 7, 2022). "Album Review: Alvvays – Blue Rev | Beats Per Minute". beatsperminute.com. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ "Alvvays Are Unpredictable, Harsh and Better Than Ever on 'Blue Rev' | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ a b Richards, Will (October 5, 2022). "Alvvays – 'Blue Rev' review: a subtle but satisfying expansion". NME. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ a b c "The 5 Best Songs Of The Week". Stereogum. July 8, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ "Alvvays Rough Up Their Perfect Pop Songs on Blue Rev". pastemagazine.com. October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ "Alvvays - Blue Rev - Album Review". Loud And Quiet. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ Pearis, Bill (July 6, 2022). "Alvvays announce new LP 'Blue Rev,' share "Pharmacist"". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ Salmon, Ben (October 4, 2022). "Alvvays Rough Up Their Perfect Pop Songs on Blue Rev". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ^ ClashMusic Staff (October 6, 2022). "Alvvays - Blue Rev | Reviews". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved October 9, 2022.