What's It Like Over There?

What's It Like Over There? is the third studio album by British indie rock band, Circa Waves. The album was released 5 April 2019 through PIAS Recordings.

What's It Like Over There?
Studio album by
Circa Waves
Released5 April 2019 (2019-04-05)
Length30:56
LabelPIAS
ProducerAlan Moulder[1]
Circa Waves chronology
Different Creatures
(2017)		 What's It Like Over There?
(2019)		 Sad Happy
(2020)
Singles from What's It Like Over There?
  1. "Movies"
    Released: 27 November 2018[1]
  2. "Me, Myself and Hollywood"
    Released: 2019
  3. "Times Won't Change Me"
    Released: 2019
  4. "Passport"
    Released: 2019

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AOTY65/100[2]
Metacritic59/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[4]
DIY[5]
Dork[6]
The Independent[7]
NME[8]
Q[3]
The Skinny[9]

What's It Like Over There? has received mixed to positive reviews from contemporary music critics. At review aggregator website, Album of the Year, the album currently holds an average critic score of 65/100 indicating mixed reviews.[2] On Metacritic, What's It Like Over There? holds an average critic score of 59 out of 100 indicating "mixed or average reviews based on 6 critics".[3]

Dylan Tuck, writing for The Skinny praised Circa Waves' change in trajectory compared to their first two albums: Different Creatures and Young Chasers and compared the album to the Arctic Monkeys' Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino.[9] Describing the piano-influences in the album, Tuck said "What’s It Like Over There? sees the group ditch the surging guitars in favour of more subtle, delicate touches. In a very Arctic Monkey’s move, throbbing, angst-fuelled rhythms make way for piano melodies (Times Won’t Change Me, Passport), ambitiously pop-infused moments incorporated with an anthemic quality (Sorry I’m Yours, Be Somebody Good), or melancholic yet upbeat ballads (The Way We Say Goodbye)."[9] Tuck ultimately awarded the album four stars out of five.[9]

Dork magazine staff writer, Jamie MacMillan called What's It Like Over There? a "a gospel-tinged bluesy piano number".[6] MacMillan further said that "the band have created something that few would have seen coming, a seismic shift away from their usual big guitar sound into something far poppier and unrestrained by tired old tropes." Like Tuck, MacMillan also awarded the album four stars out of five.[6]

Hannah Mylrea, writing for New Music Express was more critical of What's It Like Over There? Mylrea felt that the album was inconsistent, with only a handful of well composed tracks, with "lacklustre" filler tracks. Mylrea summarized the album by saying "Circa Waves are no longer are the perfect band to accompany you and your pals necking tinnies in the sun, and instead sound more like the soundtrack to a Nicholas Sparks film. ‘What’s It Like Over There?’ is the band’s sugar rush sound moving into a toothache."[8] Louisa Dixon, writing for DIY, was similarly critical of the album, describing it as "both over-produced and underwhelming".[5]

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."What's It Like Over There?"0:20
2."Sorry I'm Yours"3:49
3."Times Won't Change Me"3:13
4."Movies"3:23
5."Me, Myself and Hollywood"2:49
6."The Way We Say Goodbye"4:04
7."Be Somebody Good"3:00
8."Passport"3:27
9."Motorcade"3:42
10."Saviour"3:09
Total length:30:56

Charts
Chart (2019) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[10] 3
UK Albums (OCC)[11] 4
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References
  1. Earls, John (28 November 2018). "Circa Waves announce new album and its inspirations: 'Drake, LCD Soundsystem and being off my face on Strongbow'". NME. Retrieved 6 April 2019. The new album, which is the follow-up to 2017's 'Different Creatures', is made with the band's regular producer Alan Moulder
  2. "Circa Waves What's It Like Over There? - Critic Reviews". Album of the Year. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  3. "What's It Like Over There? by Circa Waves Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  4. Collar, Matt. Review of 'What's It Like Over There at AllMusic. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  5. Dixon, Louisa. "Circa Waves - What's It Like Over There?". DIY. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  6. MacMillan, Jamie. "Circa Waves - What's It Like Over There?". Dork. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  7. Pollard, Alexandra; O'Connor, Roisin (4 April 2019). "Album reviews: Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising, and Circa Waves – What's It Like Over There?". The Independent. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  8. Mylrea, Hannah (5 April 2019). "Circa Waves – 'What's It Like Over There?' review". NME. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  9. Tuck, Dylan (5 April 2019). "Circa Waves – What's It Like Over There?". The Skinny. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  10. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  11. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
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