By Emily Marshman
Recommended tracks: “Sorry I’m Yours”, “Movies”, “Be Somebody Good”, “Saviour”
I’m not sure what any of us were expecting from Circa Waves’ two years-post-Different Creatures, but if anyone had been holding out for an album that was a subtle blend of their first two, you got your wish. An album that feels like pure summertime by a band that have consistently released impressively developed music, What’s It Like Over There? is the most recent record from the Liverpudlian band. Mature and honest about what it means to be human, this album is filled to the brim with bangers and ballads, its tracks laced with love and with loneliness. There’s a song for everyone on this record.
“Sorry I’m Yours,” the second track on the album, immediately following the intro track, is about setting aside one’s pride for the one you love, possibly because you’re so sucker-punched with love for them. The third track, “Times Won’t Change Me,” is a song about standing your ground when faced with pushback from your peers and superiors, and with pressure from the erratic social atmosphere of the world today. Back-to-back, it seems to be a commentary on how it’s important to budge for your loved ones, but not when your integrity is being threatened.
Some of Circa Waves’ best songs are on this album. For example: every album needs at least one unapologetically poppy song, one you can scream with your windows down, and for this release, that’s “Movies”. The first single released by Circa Waves in two years, it’s reminiscent of the more upbeat tracks off of their debut, Young Chasers. “Passport”, the fifth single off of What’s It Like Over There?, is one part piano ballad and one part pop anthem, flawlessly weaving together the band’s capacity for powerful, emotional lyrics and gorgeous instrumentals.
I genuinely have only good things to say about this album. I’ve been waiting for a new release from Circa Waves since I saw them open for Two Door Cinema Club in 2017, and this album has instilled in me an even stronger love for their music.
Circa Waves are currently out on the UK leg of their tour and will be until the end of April. The US leg begins the end of May, and then they’re off to Mexico. They can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and their website.
