Liverpool outfit Circa Waves have been making bright, radio-friendly Britpop for more than 10 years now. The group continues their forward momentum with Death & Love Pt. 2, out this week. The follow-up to Part 1 earlier this year is full of song after song that sounds like it was made to be a big hit. For those of us who've been here since "Movies", that shouldn't be such a surprise.
The punchy "Bad Guys Always Win" kicks things off with a dose of catchy pop that's hard to shake, while the single "Cherry Bomb" is more measured in its approach. At their best, like on the roaring "Lost in the Fire", Circa Waves bring a really fun energy to this kind of material that elevates it. "Stick Around" is so infectiously winning that it's hard not to love it. Sure, it's wildly radio-friendly, but it's also smartly done. "Simple Thing", a more down-tempo number, indicates the heart of this group, and serves as a good example of how not everything from Circa Waves is peppy and confident.
There's a lot here that puts me in mind of The Killers or Maximo Park, or even contemporaries Blossoms. Circa Waves make assured, admittedly radio-ready indie of a sort that aligns in broad terms with the best stuff from the peak years of Britpop. This final half of their Death & Love record is consistent, concise, and affecting. Every cut here sounds like a single, and that's not a bad thing as far as this reviewer is concerned.
Death & Love Pt. 2 by Circa Waves is out this Friday. More details on Circa Waves via the official website.
[Photo: Circa Waves]