The new album by Parisian quartet Alvilda delivers on the promise of their 2021 EP Négatif. Carried over from the EP are twitchy riffs, sticky harmonies, and caffeinated tempos, but Alvilda’s debut LP represents a melodic leap forward. Alvilda is often compared to ‘60s girl group-inspired acts Les Calamites and Dolly Mixture; while those influences are certainly present, they don’t quite paint a full picture. For one, they aren’t as clanky and clangorous as those groups sometimes got. Instead, Alvilda’s affinity for fuzzy guitars and big hooks places them firmly in the vicinity of classic power pop.

All of Alvilda’s lyrics are in French and, while I can’t understand them, that’s OK because Alvilda frequently let their guitars do the talking anyway. Both Angoisse (translation: anguish) and Mélanie feature extended instrumental sections where you typically might expect an anthemic coda or a double chorus, and the band show they’re not afraid to channel Chuck Berry on Vortex. But groups like Alvilda are judged by the merit of their melodies, and I’m happy to say the songs on C’est Déjà L’heure are uniformly fun and uplifting. Overall, C’est Déjà L’heure is an exciting document of a band showcasing their ample songwriting talent. It’s also a celebration of punk as a vehicle for harmony-not just Angoisse.

C’est Déjà L’heure is out now on Static Shock Records.

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