Circa Waves - Sad Happy

Circa Waves have proven to be a prolific bunch, with their new double LP arriving just under a year since third effort ‘What’s It Like Over There?’ - but quantity overthrows quality here.

The Liverpudlian four-piece are gifted with penning peppy indie-pop, the melodies that lift the likes of ‘Be Your Drug’ and ‘Move To San Francisco’ are spiky and infectious but ultimately stick to a well-worn formula that produces middling results.

‘Jacqueline’, the love interest of the opener who “don’t care for cliches” should really steer clear of the remaining 40 minutes. It’s pretty hard to move for the constant recalling of tried-and-tested references - life being like a movie, drunken escapades and resolving all your problems by moving to America. Just when the lyrics get a little bit more interesting and introspective on ‘Sympathy’, the verse disperses into a predictable Lewis Capaldi-style chorus.

The album’s softer spots shine a little more brightly - the dusty acoustic guitar of ‘The Things We Knew Last Night’ interweaves beautifully with a fiddle sequence and the swelling strings of ‘Love You More’ make for an emotional high-point. ‘Train To Lime Street’ is a pretty instrumental but apes the minimalist twinkle of The 1975’s recent interludes a little too closely.

There’s a distinct lack of any artistic motivation behind the decision to split the album in two (‘Happy’ & ‘Sad’) besides the fact that double LPs are a trend at the moment - the songs don’t really fit into the categories set out in the titles, if only life were that simple. Circa Waves continue to hold a charm but to sustain they need to start blazing trails not already worn in by their peers.