SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CIRCA WAVES – DEATH & LOVE PT. 1

CIRCA WAVES
DEATH & LOVE PT. 1
LOWER THIRD

There’s immediate joy in Circa Waves’ new album; “American Dream” opens in a blaze of sound and classic indie pop, an explosion of euphoria after trauma, which is probably not that far from the truth given lead singer Kieran Shudall’s recent well-documented health issues.

The band make good use of their feelings of joy to produce a catchy run of songs, mostly led by some tremendous bass lines. The opening track, “American Dream”, followed by “Like You Did Before”, as well as the lead single “We Made It”, all feel like little pellets of sugar, and little bursts of light pushing against the dreariness of winter and the sadness of their trauma. It doesn’t feel like the end-of-January release date was a coincidence, as this opening salvo is a perfect antidote to those gloomy days.

Careful not to make things too saccharine, the album takes a nice turn with tracks like “Hold It Steady”, “Blue Damselfly” and “Everything Changed”, which actually show emotional depth and some tremendous musicianship and songwriting – “Damselfly” in particular may be the album’s highlight – perfectly encapsulating the band’s commitment to light and shade.

This is an excellent way for Circa Waves to start what might be their biggest year yet. It’s parts party and pathos, and it’s all the better for it, as it shows a band with well-rounded skills, but more importantly, it makes for an interesting album. Roll on Part 2.

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