Circa Waves are 'Never Going Under'
Hailing from Liverpool, the band Circa Waves have been prolific since forming in 2013. Three years since their last release, the indie rock band return from the pandemic hiatus with their fifth studio album Never Going Under. The mostly well-reviewed work of the English band continues with their latest effort.
Lead singer Kieran Shudall, scribes nearly every track on this 11-track journey. The album is a punchy ride that never lacks energy. A perfect soundtrack for an afternoon set to kick off the second-day of a music festival for when you need that spark to bounce back from the previous long night. Despite being from dreary Northern England, Shudall and his bandmates give us the perfect ear candy to coast along with the windows down on a drive to the beach or wherever a sunny day may lead you.
The energy kicks off right away with the title track. The fiery blaze created by the bouncing beat and guitar solos with a classic fuzzy distortion set the tone for the album. Many of the songs deal with the all-familiar subject of love and the first track is no different. Delivering lyrics depicting a love that may not last, but it burns with the fire reflected by the instrumentation.
The upbeat ride rolls on with ‘Do You Wanna Talk’. Shudall loves a catchy chorus to hook you in and delivers another one for the second track. The energetic rhythm comes from a tempered yet pounding drum that pounds along in the background crashing along like an ocean wave. The bass groove rocks alongside it. Do not be fooled by the confidence of the beat, much like said ocean wave, there is an insecurity. A false confidence. It comes through in the chorus “I’d like to think I call the shots” sings Shudall. The siren inspiring the song maintains all the control and he is just along for the ride.
The fiery feel continues with ‘Hell on Earth’. The band delivers another tune perfect to dance to in an open field at a music festival. Shudall attempts a bit of social commentary with the lyrics this time, much in the style of a Declan McKenna. The song acts as a metaphor for the hell we live in as we struggle to connect with others in today’s digital word. The message is heard but gets a bit lost in another simple, catchy chorus and feel-good vibe.
Shudall returns to the reliable feelings of love on ‘Your Ghost’. The bass from Sam Rourke drives this one as it provides a beautiful counterpunch to Shudall’s sweet falsetto. The bridge stands out with dreamy choir vocals layered to create a serendipitous harmony before the clapping chorus kicks back in.
‘Carry You Home’ may be the highlight of the album. The bass and drums pick back up to keep driving that energy that never slows through the entire album. In a field of catchy refrains, the one here may just be the one that stays in your head the rest of the day. This track could soundtrack the trailer for this summer’s big coming-of-age movie. The commercial nature of such a thing may seem like a backhanded compliment for an artist but the songs on movie trailers often stay with us longer than the films they advertise.
Shudall and his falsetto return to ‘Northern Town’ as he attempts his best Sam Fender impression. An anthem for a Northern English town that contradicts the bustling and globally ubiquitous imagery of London. The song closes with yet another euphoric bridge and outro that does not come down.
Co-written by bassist Rourke, ‘Want It All Today’ offers a slight tone shift on the album as the keyboards find their place at the foreground of the song. The song is by no means a sappy ballad but it is the slowest song of the album.
‘Golden Days’ seems like another movie trailer kind of song that does not hit quite as hard as ‘Carry You Home’. The band’s main formula of catchy chorus, electric guitar riffs, and layered vocals feature once again here. Circa Waves have a formula, but it works.
The album closes with ‘Hold On’ and ‘Living in the Grey’. Both provide a little bit of a slow dip before the euphoric climax. ‘Hold On’ radiates positivity despite mentions of “mornings cold and dark”. The cliché of holding on when everything sucks may seem simplistic but as with most of the album, the simplicity works. The final track builds anticipation with the intro, reminiscent of recent works from fellow Brits The 1975. This track feels bigger, building an atmospheric range unheard elsewhere on the album.
It provides a fitting conclusion to an album that is just plain fun and probably sounds even more fun live, shared with friends, or before a long-day riding the waves. It may be simple, but it just sounds good. Sometimes that is all you need.