Corvair
Paper Walls, 2021
8/10
The Portland husband and wife duo of Brian Naubert and Heather Larimer, who have also played in Eux Autres, Ruston Mire and The Service Providers, as Corvair this first album tells a love story that spans 3 decades, 5 cities and 6 continents.
“Oceansided” starts the listen percussively strong as warm guitars enter a key friendly environment that’s a playful spin on modern indie-rock meet classic rock, and “Paladin” follows with a punchy pop spirit that’s a little darker in scope but no less impactful with both members meshing their smooth singing.
Closer to the middle, “Daily Double” offers a dreamy setting of lush melodies amid post-punk nods, while “Sunday Runner” recruits bouncy bass lines as playful synth work adds much to the swift energy. “Focus Puller” then takes a turn into bare balladry, where Larimer’s sublime pipes build into an emotive landscape on a very agile album highlight.
Near the end, “Unsubtle Lake” pounds with a more firm intensity where moments of pop fun are met with an artistic approach, and “Three Stars” exits the listen with a nostalgic peek at ‘90s influenced college rock that’s wispy, highly tuneful and unforgettable.
Naubert and Larimer handle the bulk of the instrumentation here, and take help from Eric Eagle on drums, on a debut album that’s diverse enough to bring to mind legends like Cheap Trick, Yo La Tengo or even some of the early ‘90s grunge acts. Corvair may not be easy to classify but they certainly are easy to enjoy, and it would be wise to keep an ear on this and future efforts.
Travels well with: Alpha Cat- Pearl Harbor 2020; Caitlin Sherman- Death To The Damsel