Circa Wave's debut album Young Chasers has already been out in UK for a few months now, but has ridden a high wave (yes, wave) to American shores this weekend. Two years after DJ and producer Zane Lowe declared their single "Stuck in my Teeth" his "Hottest Record in the World," Circa Waves have finally released an LP featuring it and the band's preceding EP's title-track "T-Shirt Weather." In addition to the old favorites of dedicated fans, this official debut is made up of solid light rock tracks that shine with a simplistic tribute to clean indie pop. No electronic noise or artificial synthesizers, just clear guitar riffs and beautiful melodies.
With so many far down the rabbit hole of over-mixed and over-produced sounds, a pop act without all the tricks and magic is youthful, clean, and fresh. Channeling the spirit of Two Door Cinema Club and The Kooks with some Favourite Worst Nightmare-era Arctic Monkeys underlying their feel of an eternal beach day, Young Chasers is a perfect pavement of the band’s presence on the indie pop scene.
The album opens with the three previously released singles, a risky choice if not for the catchiness of the tunes. Starting with "Get Away," a clear, vibrant, and colorful vibe blooms with the beginning track. A fan favorite since it’s original release, track number two, "T-Shirt Weather" carries on that energy and pokes at the foggy memory of that summer party in a low lit room with your closest friends and some accidental strangers. Mimicking the polished rebirths of bands like Walk The Moon, Circa Waves re-recorded "Stuck in My Teeth" and "Good For Me" for the album, both which were released almost two years ago, and the updated versions strongly highlight the group’s maturity in sound and confidence.
As for the new songs, frontman Kieran Shudall laces each with a perfectly partnered melody and riff that hit every nostalgic nerve of the indie lover’s soul. Standout "Best Years" cries for a fleeting youth and a time that passes too quickly, a feeling familiar to every person (if you don’t agree, you’re lying to yourself). Sun-kissed melodies and boyish charm build each track to perfection, with many a song teeming with chart potential.
Circa Waves’ talent in building very consistent songs off the very well recognized “indie guitar band” sound has been the center of concern for critics of the band, but truthfully speaking, it has been too long since we’ve had an album with substance that was just pure fun. As a debut, Young Chasers is an impressive record and pays homage to that perfect adolescent summer we all deserve.
Young Chasers is out now via Transgressive/Virgin EMI