Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise
Circa Survive have come a long way since their their debut full-length Juturna in 2005. They started out as solid musicians with widely forgettable material. Their melodies weren’t overly distinct and most of the songs bled together. Save for a few tracks (“Act Appalled”, “In Fear and Faith”), Juturna was a good album, but not a great album. After a massive improvement in all respects with 2007’s On Letting Go, fans had pretty high hopes for Blue Sky Noise. All in all, the album delivers. Lots of memorable vocal hooks, with Anthony Green’s vocals going from vicious (“Get Out”) to angelic (“I Felt Free”).
After a few listens, it might be easy to suggest that the best tracks are toward the front. However, some of the latter tracks, specifically the closer “Dyed in the Wool”, are easily some of their best material to date.
Circa Survive have always been a troubling band to label. Are they experimental rock? Neo-prog? Emo? Indie? My advice: Don’t worry about labels and get into the tunes. Especially with this album, one could argue they are all and none of those.
Check out “I Felt Free” here. Download the album on iTunes or pick it up in stores. It’s a great listen.
