Album Review: Circa Waves - 'Never Going Under'
It’s a new year and with it brings new music for everyone to feast their ears on. Circa waves are back and better than ever with their brand spanking new album ‘Never Going Under’, proving why they still have a chokehold on the indie community.
The albums leading single ‘carry you home’ reflects on the birth on front man, Shuddall’s, first child. This puts us in good stead for what the rest of the album will entail as the single gives an insight into the clearly, much more mature themes of the album and I believe this is perfectly executed both lyrically and thematically throughout the new release. The new tracks on this album are proof that times are changing, and that not only are we, as consumers, listeners and fans growing and evolving ourselves, but the bands we once loved are growing and evolving with us in these crazy times and it’s all the more comforting knowing this as you find your way on your first few listens of the album.
With this new release you can really gain a sense for who the band are and are becoming as they have adapted to this new and ever-changing industry that we have found ourselves in. The band are becoming more creative. More frugal. More challenging. Speaking on this topic infact, Shudall himself pinpoints that “there are certain lyrics on this record that I wouldn’t have said before. Maybe its cathartic. Or maybe, this far into my career, I’m abit like ‘fuck it! I may as well just say these things”. This is made abundantly clear from tracks such as ‘Northern Town’ and ‘Carry you home’ as Shudall questions what kind of a man he is and what kind of a father he should be to his child, all essential parts of growing up, while keeping the music itself light and breezy with hints of the band’s usual indie pop vibe and ‘sad euphoria’ which bands like MGMT have given us in the past.
Tracks such as ‘Do you wanna talk?’ and ‘Golden Days’ feel like the first hint of Summer and have such huge potential for the impending 2023 festival season. Upon first listen to ‘Golden days’ I found myself almost re-living the summers I used to listen to this band, in the middle of festival crowds, knee deep in mud but having the best times and that is exactly what this band wanted to achieve. They want their audience and listeners to feel cathartic, to still have something melodically bright but meaningful and deep upon reflection of the lyrics. Shuddall, reflects that 'it’s ‘good to put a spin on things’, but this has never been more true. Since coming out of the pandemic, I’m sure most of us feel that we would like to go from a time of hopelessness and confusion to a time of hope and embracing the difference in the world and pure joy that comes from this and with the presence of ever-changing music, I feel, personally, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, that although things are and have changed, fresh new music is always something we have to fall back on.
It is perfectly clear that Circa Waves wanted to branch out with their new stuff coming into the new year. If all music were to stay the same, we’d never see evolution and, in a world, and industry that changes week in and week out, it’s relieving that even though everything seems to be moving on, some things remain the same. Like, the way that you can always count on there being some sunshine eventually on a bad day, you can always count on the circa waves lads to release some indie bangers and I, for one, can’t wait to sing some of them this summer! ‘Never going under’ itself is a statement of resilience, something we all should reflect upon being as better times are most definitely ahead, and they most certainly are for this band.
Circa waves have proven that it is okay to change up some things but it’s still okay to want to have a dance, even if times are strange and that they’re a band you can rely on, time and time again. ‘Never going Under’ by Circa waves is available from the 13th of January on all streaming platforms.
Words by Bethany Atkins
