I think it's safe to say that I'm not the first one who was drawn to Circa Waves because of the "Movies" single. That cut, a wildly catchy offering, rightly got this four-piece from Liverpool a lot of attention, but the truth is that there are quite a few good tunes on the band's newest record, What's It Like Over There. The release, out now, is a concise collection of sleek and radio-friendly alt-rock. If Circa Waves are not entirely taking any huge risks here on this one, at least they are offering up the sort of material that places them even closer to the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand.
The players here -- Kieran Shudall (lead vocals, guitar), Sam Rourke (bass), Colin Jones (drums), and Joe Falconer (lead guitar) -- attack these tunes with gusto, such that even the few that coast by on fairly routine melodies, like "Me, Myself, and Hollywood", at least have a lot of charm about them. If that tune, like the punchier "Times Won't Change Me", echoes pretty much everything Arctic Monkeys have done since AM (2013), that's to be forgiven for this is a relatively young band. When they're actually on fire here, like on "Movies", the charm of front-man Kieran Shudall accounts for a lot, as does the the brisk and energetic way the musicians here master a big, big hook here. Elsewhere, "Passport" and "Motorcade" suggest another path forward for Circa Waves, one where they can bridge the strengths of their rather obvious points of inspiration, with a more unique mix of soaring choruses and bright, shimmering pop textures.
What's It Like Over There is out now.
More details on Circa Waves via the band's official website, or via their official Facebook page.
[Photo: Uncredited promotional picture]