Sad Happy comes less than a year after Circa Wave's last record. It’s a quick turnaround, and the whole album feels urgent.
The record’s dynamic chords and rapid tempo has created bold, catchy pop from the pen of frontman Kieran Shudall. The first half of the album, Happy, was released in January, with Sad being added this month. It is a comment on how the brains of the millennial generation work — one minute filled with existential dread, the next laughing at a cat video.
The two halves aren’t as easily defined as the titles suggest — they’re both full of upbeat songs. It’s themes that split the two. Happy focuses on love and vulnerability and Sad focuses on heartbreak and nostalgia.
The album sometimes feels like an amalgamation of their influences, such as Vampire Weekend and Foals. However, the Liverpool four-piece have managed to cleverly fuse self-deprecation into lively tracks, with lyrics that will leave you no choice but to reflect on your own emotions.
