Circa Waves - Death & Love Pt. 1

Circa Waves have always been reliable merchants of festival-ready euphoria - the musical equivalent of that mate who knows exactly how to turn a regular Thursday into an impromptu celebration (probably with lots of pints).

Their sixth album, 'Death & Love Pt. 1', arrives carrying weighty baggage - frontman Kieran Shudall's recent health scare should, by rights, cast long shadows across these nine tracks. Instead, the Liverpool quartet have crafted something more familiar: a collection that trades introspection for inspiration, choosing to process life's heaviest moments through the prism of punch-the-air choruses.

'American Dream' is engineered for those sunset festival moments when ten thousand voices become one, somehow recalling both Olivia Rodrigo and My Chemical Romance (just us?). 'Le Bateau' - named for a beloved Liverpool nightspot - captures something more authentic: that electric 3am feeling when possibility crackles through the air like static.

The self-produced collection maintains the polished sheen of their recent output, though you can't help wondering if these songs of mortality and meaning might have benefited from a few more rough edges. 'Hold It Steady' comes closest to marrying the band's newfound gravitas with their natural inclination toward euphoria.

What elevates 'Death & Love Pt. 1' above mere competent indie-rock is the unwavering conviction behind every calculated crescendo. While they might not have transformed their brush with mortality into profound musical revelation, they've created something that will soundtrack countless first kisses, last dances, and all the messy moments in between.

Circa Waves remain steadfast believers in the healing power of a well-timed key change - and in these uncertain times, perhaps that's its own kind of wisdom.