Circa Survive Band • Page 104

I take back some of what I said... Discount on Psychic readings and buzzhenge are both bangers that may become regular jams in the circa rotation.

 

I've never understood using "not what I expected" as a negative thing. Like... what's the point of a band making music you DO expect? That's when they get boring and redundant. When a band makes something I don't expect them to make, that's when things get exciting

 

I'd say most of my favorite bands generally don't do the same thing every release.

 

Having a diverse discography to me is the most you could ever ask for. Makes each album that much more special.

There are bands that just basically do the same thing but a bit different for album after album and it just doesn't hit the same as when a band can reinvent themselves.

 

I think this will always be a yin-yang thing. It's never as simple as "change good, sticking to a style bad." To me, it's incredibly dependent on the band and their songwriter(s). There are bands I respect and love who only evolve very slowly, if at all. Hell, I'd put Anthony-led Saosin in that category. Others, like Radiohead, pulled off massive transformations during their best years. I think for me personally, there's a happy medium with most bands that involves a steady evolution over time... experiment, work on certain themes for each new LP, but don't abandon your core strengths unless you've really got something else going.

 

I think it just depends on what the definition of the same is. I think my favorite bands have maintained their core sound each album, while changing it up just enough to sound fresh. These new EP's are more than just a fresh spin on Circa's signature. I don't literally mean I don't want to be surprised, and that I expect to anticipate every chorus and bridge like I've already heard the song a hundred times, but I look for certain things from certain bands when I get into their new material. Time and repeated listens often changes things, but my gut reaction to both these EP's has been that they're exploring a sound that doesn't have enough in common with the the sounds that I love.

 

well yeah, there's definitely nuance between bands... but my overall sentiment of "not what I expected" being an inherently negative thing is not what I think

 

I don't think it is an inherently negative thing. I am just using it negatively in this situation because I expect to be blown away by the intricate guitar work when I listen to new circa, and a lot of the EP doesn't showcase that, therefore I'm missing it, which is a negative feeling. Once I get over not getting what I thought I'd get, I can maybe appreciate it for what it is. Or not, I may just decide that these songs aren't for my taste. Either way would be okay. I don't feel like I have to love everything by them just because they're one of my favorite bands. But for years, a new circa song meant I could put on headphones and just melt away with the left/right mix and the dueling guitar riffs I've become so accustomed to.

 

I hope these guys find some peace… it sounds like they’re really having a bad time right now, and these eps are reflecting that…… I love them though.

 

damn

 

I guess I disagree with this not really sounding like Circa. The dueling guitars aren't prevalent, but overall it's still weird, it's moody and dreamlike with very intricate and complex instrumentation.

 

always coming down on the "the old albums still exist, let 'em cook" side of this debate

 

I was just saying this to a friend of mine the other day, but my heart absolutely breaks for this band right now. From the bottom of my heart, I truly hope everything is going to be okay with Anthony, Steve, and everyone else in the band.

 

Gotta feel genuinely awful for these guys, regardless of how I view their recent artistic choices. They're clearly in it for the right reasons and have treated fans well with stuff like Patreon through all the hardships of the past couple years. Will keep supporting them there and hoping for the best.

 

that verse in Buzzhenge grooves nice like an OLG verse

 

Buzzhenge is very reminiscent of All Your Friends Are Gone

 

100% agree

 

Both of these EP's are fantastic. I love how they each have their own sound but are close enough that they can be listened to back to back like an album.

 

I think that these EPs are the mysterious material they recorded at studio 4 back in December 2019. Anthony had a deleted tweet saying something about scrapping it because it a wasn't good enough. That all checks out to me honestly. I think they were very apprehensive about releasing these songs because they are so different. But after the success of the patreon and possibly out of some financial desperation they came forward with it and just embraced it.

I'm loving them both for what they are but I can't help but feel like its a kind of prolonged funeral for this band as we know it.

 

I had the same theory about the scrapped album - and yeah now Im actually p sure thats what it is

 

But these weren’t recorded at studio 4… yip recorded with them at their practice space.

 

Shit, I had no idea how rough things have been for the band. I mean, COVID was hard for most bands but I guess I thought Circa was in a good enough place to weather through it. Would be a huge bummer if they couldn’t make it through all of this.

 

I get it. Im just shooting off the hip, first reaction. I may be around these parts loving this EP soon, who knows.

 

Hoping Anthony is on his way to feeling better.

 

I’m gutted over both Anthony and Stephen not being in a healthy spot right now but I hope they both are getting the help they need.

That said, this EP is absolutely phenomenal. I like it more than the first one. Taken together they equal a sum that rivals their best work. I don’t know how any fan who respects the decision to branch out and experiment wouldn’t be absolutely full on board with this to be honest with you. They are firing on all cylinders here, everything is so tight and clearly labored over, the comment about it sounding demo ish is one of the more baffling things I’ve read, but that’s just my opinion and I don’t mean to discredit anyone else’s. It’s just….this is so fucking good in every single way and hits every mark that makes a Circa Survive release so special and hard hitting. Anthony sounds more engaged vocally than he has in a long while, the melody writing is top tier and reminds me of some of his earlier solo stuff. Colin and Brendan’s work translate flawlessly to synth and if my ears are mistaken there’s certainly still some guitar work happening that lays beautiful beneath the sound bed they’ve cushioned everything in. The rhythm section straight up fucking grooves, despite the electronic flourishes you can’t deny the sheer amount of feeling within the playing, programmed drums or not they feel human. They haven’t worked this cohesively as a unit ever, it’s a new chapter and I’m all in because it’s undeniable how high the quality of this music is. Obviously I’m ridiculously biased, they’re my favorite band and they’re dipping their toes into some of my favorite styles of music and I’ve produced a ton of electronic music myself so I’m not pretending to be a neutral observer at all. Still… something special is going on here and I pray Anthony and Stephen make it through their hardships so they can bless us with music as long as their hearts let them. I’ve experienced my fair share of mental health crises and addiction issues, enough to last me ten fucking life times to be honest with you I’m not sure if I spent more time in or out of rehab in 2021 (and if I have to check into a hospital one more time I’m going to fucking lose it), and Circa’s music has always been my “safe place” to whisk me away from all of that. When I was alone and in treatment outside of Philly last April I ordered a portable CD player and a few cd’s to get me through (you don’t get phones in rehab so I had nothing to listen to) and I made sure The Amulet was among the CD’s I purchased. Needless to say I wouldn’t be where I am today without this music. That’s all I’ve got.