“This is a smash”: Alvvays picks their favourite Psychedelic Furs track
In the category of British rock bands of the 1970s, there are plenty of big names battling for the limelight. Acts like The Kinks, Pink Floyd, Queen and beyond all fight for cultural attention. But the indie troupe Alvvays would like more light to shine on The Psychedelic Furs, their all too underrated favourite act of the era.
With each decade, one indie tune comes along to soundtrack its memory. In the 2010s, for a lot of people, that was ‘Archie, Marry Me’, Alvvay’s breakout hit that seems to never get old. It’s endured as one of the most beloved anthems of the genre in modern years, followed up with plenty of other big hits like ‘Dreams Tonite’, ‘Not My Baby’, and more.
While names like Arctic Monkeys or Vampire Weekend might dominate at the biggest indie acts of the moment, Alvvays have always been there as a cultishly beloved outfit, delivering quality record after quality record. Always with their own distinct flair, unique songwriting and Molly Rankin’s instantly recognisable vocals, they stick to their singular path of greatness.
That’s perhaps a lesson learnt from their own favourite act of the 1970s, looking beyond the biggest names to a more underappreciated outfit. For Rankin, it’s the Psychedelic Furs that stand out, especially their track ‘Heaven’, which taught her a lot about how to make a hit.
Out of all their tracks, she thinks this 1984 perfectly captures their place in the scene as pioneers rather than followers, pushing at the expectations of the rock genre. “Something about this song that’s so cool is that it starts with the chorus, which you don’t hear that often. It really speaks to their confidence and their boldness,” she told The Line Of Best Fit.
But as well as song structures and the power of a strong start, it also taught her a lot about vocals on a track, adding, “It makes me think about vocals and how they’re a real tool.”
She continued: “It’s also a perfect example of how a textured vocal can have a ton of impact in a recording scenario,” she said, claiming its grittiness to be part of its power. “There might not be a lot of purity and perfection in this specific song – the chorus is really gravelly – but the vocals slice through the production in this really cathartic way,” she added.
Especially on their most recent album, Blue Rev, Alvvays went looking for some new inspiration. Wanting to move beyond typical indie sounds into something more interesting, the Psychedelic Furs appeared as an absolutely perfect offering. From their position on film soundtracks like Pretty In Pink or Call Me By Your Name, they scratch the itch for big, cinematic sounds. But they also help bridge the gap between rock and the New Romantic sounds of their era that Alvvays liked. “We were trying to steer one of our songs into this universe of pulsating synths and have the chorus open up in this really free way that it felt like it was beckoning to you,” Rankin explained.
But overall, she simply thinks the song is a hit. “This is a smash!” she concluded.
