Review: Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise

Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise
2010, Atlantic Records

Doylestown, Pennsylvania’s Circa Survive have made the jump to a major label, but still bring a strong DIY effort to their third album, Blue Sky Noise. Working with producer David Bottrill (King Crimson, Tool, Muse), Circa Survive have crafted their most commercial album to date. Armed with a new perspective (particularly vocalist Anthony Green, who took some time out after a mental breakdown to get back to himself and gain new perspective on the world, Circa Survive look to make 2010 their best year to date.

Blue Sky Noise opens with “Strange Terrain”; a driven tune that is an average opening tune but features an outstanding vocal from Green. “Get Out” is, plainly said, a self-referential temper tantrum in song; encompassing an “I’m So Misunderstood” mind with insular thoughts. The song is powerful, angry and whiny all at once; and will sound very familiar to parents of a teenager or anyone who actually remembers what it was like to be a teenager. “Glass Arrows” is a pro-forma big rock tune, infusing just the right amount of anger to sound legit but not enough to be over-the-top.

“I Felt Free” is a bland and pretentious power ballad that doesn’t do much to stand out from the crowded power ballad field. Likewise, “Imaginary Enemy” has a cookie-cutter alt-rock feel. It’s a dysfunctional relationship song where the dysfunction of one member of a relationship is topped only by the partner who bends themselves every which way to satisfy that dysfunction. “Through The Desert Alone” is a step in the right direction, taking more of an art-rock approach by paying attention to musical details rather than a strict commercial sound. The rest of the album is a series of hits (“Fever Dreams”, “The Longest Mile”, and “Compendium”) and misses (“Frozen Creek”, Spirit Of The Stairwell”, “Dyed In The Wool”).

After strong Indie efforts Juturna and On Letting Go, it seemed likely that making the jump to the majors would not be likely to affect Circa Survive’s songwriting. But something has happened along the way. The songwriting on Blue Sky Noise is very uneven, and there seems to be a distinct struggle here between commercialism and art. More often than not commercialism seems to win on Blue Sky Noise, but its impact has been greatly diluted by the struggle, leaving Circa Survive with a less than optimal album that is not truly representative of their talent or work ethic. The reasons for this are unclear, but hopefully Circa Survive will get these kinks worked out before the next album.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Circa Survive at http://www.circasurvive.com/ or www.myspace.com/circasurvive. Blue Sky Noise is available as a CD, LP or Download through Amazon.com. Special bundles are also available through the band's web site for hard core fans.

Review: Twin Atlantic - Vivarium

Twin Atlantic - Vivarium
2009, Red Bull Records

Scottish rockers Twin Atlantic exploded onto the American Scene this month with the release of Vivarium. With great press in the UK, a UK tour supporting Taking Back Sunday and performances with Smashing Pumpkins, Circa Survive and The Subways, Twin Atlantic have already proved they can play with the big boys. Vivarium marks Twin Atlantic's first foray across the Atlantic and the band will be touring the United States this fall.

Twin Atlantic opens Vivarium with Lightspeed, a distortion-filled rocker that's perfect for Modern Rock Radio. This has hit written all over it, with an anthem-like feel. It's just too bad this album didn't arrive running up to the summer as this would be a perfect summer song. Old Grey Face (And The Way Of The Magenta) retains a distinctive pop sensibility while rocking out in perfect radio fashion. Sam McTrusty's voice is a strong rock voice, made that much more interesting for US audiences by the distinctive Scottish bur. Old Grey Face devolves into guitar chaos in the breakdown, suddenly right itself and returning to form before abruptly transitioning into You're Turning Into John Wayne. Twin Atlantic explores the dichotomy of Europe's fascination/hatred of America. On one hand, some in Europe decry American Culture while adopting American music, culture and styles and even purchasing many products from here. The narrator here wants to find out what it means to be American to learn what's true. It's a well-written, intelligent song that also rocks.

Caribbean War Syndrome seems to take relationships and war overlay one on the other in terms of the tactics, advances and retreats of the relationship. The song is well written and takes on some progressive tendencies in the instrumentation. What Is Light? Where Is After? has a big crunchy guitar sound that may tend to fare it well on commercial radio. It's not my favorite song on the disc but I can see how it may have some real commercial punch. Audience And Audio is very catchy and shows tendencies to work down a progressive path, launching into extended instrumental interludes full of guitar, distortion and atypical elements for modern rock. Twin Atlantic closes with Better Weather, an introspective, wider-ranging rock tune that shows some of the grandiosity of U2.

Vivarium is a strong if somewhat mixed introduction to Twin Atlantic. Most of it played very well. The band ranges from pure Modern Rock to an almost Rush-like progressive sense with the pop grandeur of U2 thrown in on occasion. Not everything here works, but enough of it does to turn Vivarium into a potential big seller this fall. Either way, I suspect this won't be Twin Atlantic's last tour on this side of the Atlantic.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Twin Atlantic at www.myspace.com/twinatlantic or http://www.twinatlantic.com/. Vivarium is available for download via iTunes. Official US release date is September 29, 2009, although no online outlets are not as of publication. You can always buy the UK import from CDUniverse.com if you can’t wait.

Review: These Green Eyes - Relapse To Recovery

These Green Eyes – Relapse To Recovery
2008, Blackledge Music

On March 24, 2009, These Green Eyes will release their latest album, Relapse To Recovery. With the first single, Paramedic already hitting the airwaves, These Green Eyes look to make a big splash in 2009. After touring the US the last few years with the likes of Gym Class Heroes, Less Than Jake, Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory and Hidden In Plain View, These Green Eyes have built a significant amount of buzz for the new album. Let’s check it out.

These Green Eyes bring a wonderful mix of melodicism and Modern Rock edge to the masses on Relapse To Recovery. The opening phrases of At The End recall the sound of Simon & Garfunkel before breaking into a melodic but driven rock tune. Big harmonies and the lyric vocals of Colin Cunningham make this a real gem. The song might actually be too good to be truly commercially viable. That’s a theme that runs throughout Relapse To Recovery: Rock songs with strong Pop aesthetics that might be too finely constructed for the current popular mores. Cunningham’s voice is too good, the harmonies are too spot-on and the band is too tight and too slickly produced to fit in with current trends.

Paramedic is a dynamic rocker that should be good Modern Rock radio fodder. The energy here is high and These Green Eyes appear to have the sort of charisma it takes to play big stadiums. Kick The Crutch is another opportunity for Cunningham to show off his amazing pipes in an exhortation of loved one to walk away. Drunk Driver is an energetic rocker with commercial mettle. There’s a bit of punk energy running through this alongside the pop sensibility that seems to pervade everything These Green Eyes touches. Blood Sweat And Beers is a welcome change of pace, stripping away the distortion and frenetic pace for a more lyric performance. Other highlights include Time Of Our Lives, Two Minute Warning and Sucker Punch.

Relapse To Recovery is a great Rock album. Don’t be surprised if These Green Eyes go global in 2009. The band is capable of crafting slick Modern Rock with a Pop feel that should be like candy to a marketplace that gorges on such things. But if the opening track, At The End is any indication, These Green Eyes are capable of even more. Perhaps it was a one time thing, but I don’t think so. There are indications throughout the album of a breadth and depth of creativity that goes beyond the capabilities of your typical charting band. These Green Eyes have a special vocalist in Colin Cunningham, and play together wonderfully well as a unit. The slick production values of producer Brian McTernan (Thrice, Circa Survive, Senses Fail) help to smooth out any wrinkles, but I strongly suspect that those wrinkles may be the best part of These Green Eyes. Enjoy the album, which is killer, and enjoy their probably rise. The more success These Green Eyes have now, the more they’ll be able to explore those wrinkles later on. If you’re a fan of great music then that’s what you want, because these guys are amazing.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about These Green Eyes at www.myspace.com/thesegreeneyes or http://www.blackledgemusic.com/. Relapse To Recovery hits shelves on March 24, 2009. You can pre-order your copy through Amazon.com.