★★★☆☆
Indie pop-rock band Circa Waves released Death & Love on Friday, the full version of its earlier project, Death & Love, Part 1, released in January.
While Death & Love feels somewhat generic, it accomplishes what it aims to do well. It is lively, catchy, and generally a good time.
The band, which hails from Liverpool, is comprised of vocalist and guitarist Kieran Shudall, guitarist Joe Falconer, bassist Sam Rourke, and drummer Colin Jones. Shudall is the main lyricist of the group, and his hook-filled and sensitive verses blend well with the upbeat and meaningful melodies.
Circa Waves takes clear inspiration from the pioneers of the indie rock genre. Repetitive guitar strums under heavy distortion, upbeat drum fills, and whiny vocals are all reminiscent of Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes.
The album is full of energy, with guitar solos and lyrics that stick in your mind. Its lead single, “Cherry Bomb,” stands out as an impressive pop ballad with catchy hooks and a repetitive chorus.
Another stand-out track from the first release is “We Made It.” The melody and sanguine lyrics combine for an uplifting, enjoyable song.
“I said it took a long, long time to get here / But yeah we made it, yeah we made it / Every silver line was a gold mine as the sun was fading,” sings Shudall.
The album strays away from the up-tempo indie rock genre with some more sensitive tracks as well. The penultimate track, “Sweet Simple Thing,” stood out, featuring an acoustic guitar that was uncharacteristically poignant compared to the rest of the album.
The track has a beautiful, swelling orchestral backing that blends perfectly with the melancholy lyrics and guitar chords.
“And, oh, I long for you / My sweet, simple thing / Hold my heart like a cat pulls a string,” sings Shudall.
Another distinctly sensitive track was “Le Bateau,” as its lyrics in particular stood out as beautiful and vivid.
“And honey, why the gruesome thing? / Unrequited love can be / Don’t say it’s you, if you know it’s me,” sings Shudall.
The album follows the classic indie rock formula. It’s easily classifiable and overall a generic pop record, but that certainly doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Although Circa Waves does not bring anything new to the table with Death & Love, it does not fail to be a good time and refuses to keep the listener in a bad mood. It’s an easy listen and something that lifts the mood of any car ride or laundry-folding session.
“Sunbeams” lives up to its title by being particularly enlivening with a steady beat, building melodies, and a jangly guitar line. It is a song that talks right to the listeners, telling them to get out of their own heads and enjoy the moment:
“Hey, what a beautiful day / Shake the pain you’ve felt of late,” sings Shudall.
It’s an album that expresses all those ubiquitous but hard-to-describe emotions: being afraid of change, struggling with love, longing for something that you cannot have.
“Old Balloons” captures that feeling of longing well, and those big emotions are paired well with a laid-back drumbeat and a high-distortion guitar line.
“I don’t know how, but I’ve got to get there soon / Holding onto me / Holding onto you / Like a child clinging onto old balloons,” sings Shudall.
The album pays homage to its predecessors in the indie rock genre while bringing original emotion and Shudall’s distinct lyricism. It would’ve served Circa Waves to stray a bit further from the conventional indie-rock formula, but what it does do, it does well.
