Aüva

Here’s a thought: what if, at that first, heart-stopping flush of love that you feel when you meet someone special for the first time, you could capture and preserve the moment forever? It’s not something you can do on your phone or with a camera – although feelings sometimes flood back when you flick through photos, they’re not the same. What would the world be like if we never forgot what brought us together – different, or the same?

If there’s even an answer to that, then we’re pretty certain Aüva are on the quest to find it. Their self-titled debut album sparkles from the light of a thousand shooting stars, providing a momentary lift up to the heavens. If you didn’t know they were from Boston, you might hazard a guess that this sextet takes inspiration from the lapping Californian surf for its close-harmony, psychedelic, sunshine folk. They say they sing “sweet and sad songs about friends and lovers”, but this description doesn’t really cut the surface of an album that is rooted in deep human connections, creating a nostalgia for Summer Of Love for a generation that has only seen grainy Super 8 show reels.

Like a warm hug, ‘Ruby’ brilliantly epitomises all that, with the rallying chorus “where would I be without you / I’ll be there to pull you through”. And, when love goes wrong, as on the jangling canter of ‘Better’, or the more doleful ‘Gloom’, Aüva prefer understanding and forgiveness over bitterness and revenge. ‘Recollections’ and ‘Sunburn’, subtly draw us into a more mindful place, travelling without moving through the possibilities of a different world, without fear or hate. Most importantly, though, the weight of this never distracts from the music, which continues to be propelled upwards by the graceful vocal movement of Miette Hope, Jake Levine and Jack Markwordt.

Streaming below, ‘Aüva’ will sink into your pores like sweet sunlight, and you’ll want feel its glow all day long. - trevor elkin

We've had our figurative eye on Boston indie pop upstarts Aüva for a year or so, ever since turning on to the genteel, large-ensemble sound captured on its 2015 EP Light Years. The young act hit a steady stride straightaway and remained busy and gigging on the regular into 2016, when it settled in to self-record a full-length debut. "Better" is the first single from the sextet's eponymous long-player, and you can check out the video supra. The tune is a swaying, surf-pop gem built up from skittering drums and an insistent bass line, over which clean guitar leads, rhythm-guitar jangle and tasteful, vibrato synth embellishments gently make their case.

The video dabbles with a romantic concept that pairs up co-fronter and keyboard player Miette Hope with the other members of the ensemble, but the real charm is in the faux performance shots, wherein Aüva posse waver between goofing around and playing it earnest. The external shots are particularly compelling, including a dreamy shot of trees, a pastiche in which the band members are lined up against a wall and then shuffled, and a shot of a beer bottle getting smashed in a firepit around which we suspect a number of Clicky Clicky readers (and at least one Senior Writer) have consumed adult beverages. The clip was primarily filmed and edited by Aüva guitarist Jake LeVine, with the help of friend-of-the-band Evan Xiner Hong. Mr. LeVine would seem to wear a lot of hats, as he also mixed the forthcoming record, and pitched in on songwriting and arranging with the rest of the groups's six members.

The single and indeed the entire aforementioned 10-song debut Aüva was primarily recorded in the Boston Conservatory's dance studios; both the single and LP will be available as free downloads Aug. 6. Aüva's intention was to have had a quiet summer, but fortunately for fans things have not gone precisely as planned. Earlier this month a truncated line-up of the band jumped in at the last-minute for an appearance on WMBR's crucial local music program Pipeline (hosted by the inimitable Jeff Breeze). On Aug. 13, the band embarks on a two-week tour that will take it down to Florida and all the way back up to New Hampshire. There, on the 28th, it will play on a beer-branded second stage prior to a performance by the legendary Brian Wilson. Mr. Wilson, in case you don't know, is out playing Beach Boys' Pet Sounds to celebrate the album's 50th anniversary. So, not a bad gig for an indie pop band that formed only 18 months or so ago, yeah? Aüva will be available via Bandcamp, Sporkify, ITunes and Apple Music; whet that appetite with repeat viewings of "Better" and mark down the tour stops below in your daily planner.

Aüva: Bandcamp | Facebook | Internerds

08.13 -- O'Brien's Pub -- Boston, MA
08.14 -- The Gateway -- Brooklyn, NY
08.20 -- The Bends -- St. Petersburg, FL
08.24 -- The London District -- Asheville, NC
08.25 -- Joe Squared -- Baltimore, MD
08.26 -- Firehouse 13 -- Providence RI - Jay Breitling

​The No. 1 Song for September, by a wide margin, was Boston band Auva’s amazing single, “Into Place,” with its layers of harmonies and glam pop elements. Auva is a band to watch in 2016, and all of you seem to agree based on making it the top song of the month. - IRC