The King streetcar during morning rush hour is a truly miserable experience. And yet the Elwins’ second album magically makes that shoulder-to-shoulder existence infinitely more enjoyable.
Play For Keeps is a feel-good pop album whichever way you cut it: singalong choruses abound, infectious melodies beg to be your dance party soundtrack, and the unknown “you” is constantly being serenaded. Since their 2012 debut, the Toronto foursome have become more polished and less twee (fewer handclaps, “sha-la-las” and less lo-fi-ness), with slicker, bombastic production values that should land them on the FM charts.
Matthew Sweeney continues to push his vocal range, experimenting with swagger on the Strokesish So Down Low and emulating a pop star on Bubble. The most experimental is Bringing Out The Shoulders, which sounds like a more saccharine Born Ruffians. Not a bad thing, but not exactly groundbreaking either. What would be more groundbreaking? A legit Katy Perry banger.
Top track: Bubble
The Elwins play the Hoxton March 8.