The Elwins – Play for Keeps
4/5
The Elwins showed the music world their fun-loving, indie pop sound with their self-released debut album And I Thank You. Hidden Pony Records made the next move and signed the indie pop band back in the fall of 2014, and with a blink of an eye, the four-piece has released their second full-length Play for Keeps.
The Newmarket quartet finds their groove with dance-pop guitar riffs, vibrant synth layers and downright catchy melodies. The opening track “Bubble” sends the album in the right direction with a light breeze of fluttering guitars and a candy coated pop melody of “you get me high like a bubble” from lead singer Matthew Sweeney.
The Elwins maintain the vibrant, bubble-gum pop sound with their use of a catchy pop choruses and fluid verses in tracks such as “Show Me How to Move, “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over”, and “Off the Wall”.
“So Down Low“ takes the indie party up a notch with a track fuelled by dance beats, sonic chaos and an intensified chorus melody. The hit single from the album takes center stage, bringing the energy up and leaving you wanting more.
Synth-pop influences add to the brightness of Play for Keeps with tracks like “Bringing out the Shoulders”, “You Have Me”, and “Shining Star”, where Sweeney’s playful vocals match with the swell of synthesizers and secondary guitar riffs.
12 tracks and each one is well deserving of a place on the record; The Elwins have a promising future in music ahead of them, but for the meantime, Play for Keeps is an album that fits excellently in the current indie pop scene. Check them out on tour and buy the album!
Listen to the full album via Exclaim!.
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