Corvair – a Portland, Oregon-based husband-and-wife duo made up of Brian Laubert and Heather Larimer – release their self-titled debut album and it’s one that tells a love story spanning over three decades, five cities and six continents.
Big pop hooks that sit somewhere between Bleachers and The Rolling Stones signal the start of album opener ‘Oceansided’. This swirling sound backs up the heartfelt lyrics ‘I’ve always loved you and I always will’, while both Brian and Heather sing ‘It’s not all lost, it’s not impossible’ in unison. ‘Paladin’ follows with Heather taking over the lead vocals and this is more akin to a Cheap Trick-style rock anthem as she thinks about ‘cracking a window just to get to you, if it’s in jeopardy than that makes two’ before it settles into its fractured yet dreamy conclusion. ‘Sailor Down’ continues with its chamber pop stylings and classic rock influences wrapping around a deliciously dark edge: ‘A lovely place to drown’.
‘Sunday Runner’ has short and sharp bursts of guitar as the band talk about feeling chronic and ask ‘Does it shimmer so picturesque when I put my soul in yours?’ while ‘Focus Puller’ is a confessional, emotional piece that finds Heather dreaming of traveling and looking back on her past: ‘I was a girl, I was a strong girl, I was on fire, I didn’t believe there was a place I could be home’. ‘Tied Island’ opens with a stomping glam sound before heading into something more aligned with Grandaddy and Stars, before ‘Unsubtle Lake’ takes the album into a ‘Because the Night’-esque direction with Heather talking about not being able to remember people’s faces. The record draws to a close with the soulful ‘Three Stars’ and its ultimately positive message about believing in yourself: ‘There was always more than what was taken and you are stronger than that will ever be’.
