Circa Waves
Never Going Under
LOWER THIRD
Lately I’ve been thinking about how we look at art—all art. From literature to film to paintings to music, we all have our own takeaways. Our “objective” views can’t be completely objective, since they’re informed by how we perceive the world and our own experiences. This thought process only deepens when I listen to Never Going Under, the fourth LP from the Liverpool-based Britpop fourpiece Circa Waves.
I was struck by how a story that felt so simple could be so compelling. I sensed that this was an album about a breakup—I could feel the sadness, the longing. To me, that made perfect sense. Then I began to realize that to someone else, it could conceivably be about a person who’s passed away and the resentment that they have for not doing more for them while they were alive. As I began to think about all the ways that people could relate to and perceive the album I realized that that’s the quality that most fascinates me; I love the idea that someone else could have it resonate with them in a completely different way.
What I feel is so original about Never Going Under is how Circa Waves approaches telling a story about heartache. Instead of anger at the other person, or sadness, they seem to approach it with guilt. On “Your Ghost,” I can feel how vocalist Kieran Shudall is haunted by the subject of the song’s lingering spirit. It’s an admission of guilt, but not exactly a cry for forgiveness—he wants to feel bad. This same theme is present throughout the album with other songs like “Hell on Earth” and “Carry You Home.” These tracks all look at guilt, but they’re about living in the pain rather than figuring out how to rid yourself of it.
Even though the energy of the album is dark, I love how Circa Waves juxtaposes the pain with an upbeat sound. It feels like they’re bringing us back to a familiar moment in indie-pop that isn’t old, but hasn’t been heard in a while and has aged into a sense of nostalgia. Never Going Under is an easy listen and a thorough joy. Creative, smart, and original, it makes me really think about how I myself listen to music, and how music affects us all in different ways.
