Circa Waves - Never Going Under (LP)

Circa Waves have always been a band you can trust for a sharp hook and a brisk chorus, but Never Going Under, released 13 January 2023, feels like the moment they tightened every bolt and aimed a little higher. It is the Liverpool quartet’s fifth studio album, and it plays like a seasoned indie outfit looking the future square in the eye, then deciding to sprint toward it anyway. You can hear that intent from the opening title track, which leans on a punchy drum pattern and a wiry guitar line while Kieran Shudall sings about resilience in a world that keeps shifting underfoot.

The singles sketched out the record’s stance early. Do You Wanna Talk is classic Circa Waves, bright and fleet, with the band’s knack for compact melody front and centre. Hell on Earth arrived first and gave the album a franker complexion, a burst of adrenaline set against lyrics about the chaos and noise of modern life. Carry You Home rounds out that picture with a warmer heartbeat, a song about protection more than panic, its chorus built for sweaty rooms and linked arms. These are tight, economical songs, just enough detail to stick without losing the rush.

That push and pull, anxiety and uplift, is the record’s motor. Shudall has spoken in interviews about writing with the future in mind, particularly as a new parent, and the perspective shows. Never Going Under never tips into doom, it balances the worry with a stubborn streak of hope. Your Ghost stands out for exactly that reason, a tune that sits somewhere between tender and taut, the guitars mapping out space rather than filling every corner. Joe Falconer’s parts are clean and purposeful, not flashy, just the right grit at the right moment. Sam Rourke’s bass keeps the floor moving, and Colin Jones locks the groove so tight you could set your watch by it.

It is easy to forget how hard this kind of simplicity is. Circa Waves came up delivering instant singalongs like T-Shirt Weather, so the expectation has always been immediacy. Here they keep that speed but let the songs breathe. The choruses hit, then the band leaves small pockets for a synth shade or a drum fill that lingers a beat longer than you expect. It gives Never Going Under a lift across the whole sequence, even as the tempos shift. When they go lean and fast it is exhilarating, when they ease off you can hear the care in the arrangements.

If you have lived with the band since Young Chasers, the growth makes sense. Different Creatures stiffened the sound, What’s It Like Over There added polish, Sad Happy split moods across two halves. This one threads those strands and puts the writing first. The production feels clear and unfussy, vocals sitting high enough to catch every line, guitars with just a hint of bite, drums snapping in the middle of the room. It is not a reinvention, it is the best version of what they do.

As a front to back listen it holds together in a way that rewards repeat spins. You can drop the needle for a sugar hit from Do You Wanna Talk, then stay for the steadier pulse of Carry You Home and the steely lift in the title track. That makes it a no brainer for anyone trawling a Melbourne record store on a Saturday arvo, or flicking through vinyl records Australia listings late at night. If you are hunting Circa Waves vinyl, the Never Going Under vinyl sits nicely alongside the earlier LPs, a clean, lively cut that suits the band’s crisp edges. And if you prefer to buy Circa Waves records online, it is an easy add to cart, the kind of record that actually gets played rather than filed away. Circa Waves albums on vinyl have a habit of sticking around the turntable because they move, they pick you up and get on with it.

What lingers most is the tone, a band that knows the storm is out there but refuses to be drowned by it. In an era thick with grand statements and bloated runtimes, Circa Waves keep it tight and human, four players in a room, songs about holding your nerve as the world wobbles. Never Going Under sounds like its title promises, not bravado, just a vow to keep going. It is their strongest set in years, and one that makes a strong case for spinning the black circle and turning it up.