
7.3
Death & Love Pt.1
Circa Waves
Death & Love Pt.1, the newest album from Liverpool indie-rockers Circa Waves, shows how the band can still remain creative and innovative after over 10 years of writing music. The sixth record from the band remains true to the 2010 indie-rock sound that made them famous in the UK, with hits like ’T-Shirt Weather’ still being a staple at summer house parties even now. But while they remain faithful to their original sound, they’re not afraid of pushing themselves as a collective and taking creative risks. In doing so, we are treated to tracks like ‘Everything Changed’ and ‘Blue Damselfly’.
‘American Dream’ kicks the LP off, a song all about aiming high with lofty ambitions as “an English boy with an American Dream”. The lyrical topic of the track shows how the band are free from any restraint that might’ve defined them before, fantasising about reinventing their identity and starting anew; “if all goes well I won’t be coming home.”
What follows next is one of the most upbeat songs on the record. The high-octane energy that ‘Like You Did Before’ pushes it into the spotlight, emphasising its place as one of the most infectious tracks on the record. It is a song that is focused purely on energy and the emotions that come with the fast-paced energy. It’s cathartic, one that begs to be danced along to, and the constant quickening heartbeat of the drums and lead guitar gives the nostalgic 2010’s indie song an edge fit for modern times. ‘We Made It’ follows on and is another fast-paced piece. An optimistic song about succeeding and staying together, the highlight of the three minutes and 14 seconds comes in the form of the bridge, raising the stakes and building anticipation with the use of a bass line that swells underneath all of the curated chaos.
‘Hold It Steady’ features some innovative instrumentation as a bass guitar slides in to kick the song off before an electric guitar plays a note progression that shimmers and evokes the imagery of a shining shoreline on a summer night, twinkling like diamonds. The slower pace of the track adds layers to the imagery, giving the song a distinctive edge of hope amidst the backdrop of 80s-influenced sounds with the synth-like chord progression. ‘Let’s Leave Together’ takes the slower, twinkling song and increases the groove. Clean guitar chords trade the spotlight with another 80s-influenced note progression. The contrast between the verses that feature only a few instruments and the chorus that includes all instruments at once sets this song apart and makes it a noticeable and worthwhile listen. The beauty of the track lies in the seconds of build-up given to the instruments before the reintroduction of the chorus, allowing the guitars to either swell and build or demonstrate something different like a muted guitar riff.
‘Blue Damselfly’ and ‘Everything Changed’ are the highlights however as they feel the most inventive and vulnerable. ‘Blue Damselfly’ features an acoustic guitar that adds an emotive, heartfelt aspect to the slower lyricism from frontman Kieran Shudall. Joe Falconer, the lead guitarist, adds even more heart to the song with the subtle guitar lines played beneath the acoustic guitar and drums, ultimately creating further depth. ‘Everything Changed’ is another vulnerable track that steals the show. The lyrics open with an emotive pack with the lines: “I see tears running down your face, honey blue.” The guitar riff that accompanies the verses transforms as the chorus kicks in, Kieran singing against a thumping drum beat how everything changed despite “you wanting things to stay the same.” The guitar solo near the end helps to reinforce the cathartic explosion of the choruses as the guitar goes into overdrive pedal effect staying on as the chorus comes in one last time. This effect enables the song to feel larger than life, another factor in the track standing out.
The sixth album from the Liverpudlian band runs the risk of being repetitive and unimaginative yet the group manages to avoid that. Creating positive and catchy indie-rock songs that are reminiscent of the 2010s indie scene, they also provide some songs that push their boundaries and stand out for their innovative and unique instrumentation or heartfelt lyrics. Whilst the fast-paced songs are fun and produced well, the beauty of Death & Love Pt.1 lies in the emotive and vulnerable slower-paced tracks that give the album a depth that was previously unobtainable.
pre-order Death & Love Pt.1 by Circa Waves HERE
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