Review Summary: This isn't just "Juturna 3.0".......
Circa Survive have been around for some time now, and in that time, they have gathered a fairly large, and incredibly loyal fan base. With their debut “Juturna“, Circa Survive seemingly went from being completely unheard of, to one of the scene’s most recognizable acts, all in the blink of an eye. This is in no small part do to the band’s largest asset: Anthony Green. After jumping the ship that was Saosin, a band who also was greatly on the rise, Green decided to form a new project. That project was Circa Survive. Since then, the band has released two records, which have been met with success both critically and financially. Now three albums deep into their short, but storied careers, has Circa’s meteoric rise to fame hit a plateau, or are they in it for the long haul?
“Juturna” was a great album, and the follow up, “On Letting Go” was in itself a fine album. However, since the band’s first EP, everything Circa Survive has released has sounded, well, the same. Enough so, that “On Letting Go” earned the nickname “Juturna 2.0“. Literally there was little differentiation between the sounds of the albums, and this made the band slightly boring. While it was slightly catchier, and easily more accessible, it just lacked it’s own identity. Yet on “Blue Sky Noise” we find the band unafraid to experiment, creating a great new sound while maintaining everything that was great from before.
To put it simply, “Blue Sky Noise” is both a bold step forward, and the perfection of the Circa Survive sound. Everything about the band has improved. Every single aspect has been incredibly polished, making this the most solid effort to date. While maintaining their alt rock, indie-prog sensebilities, the band has managed to seriously put some life into their songs. In previous releases, energy and life were two things seriously lacking. They may have put up a decent front, but underneath the peculiar sounds and interesting tempos, Circa Survive were simply flat. However, we now find the band pulsing with life, and full of incredibly palpable energy.
Anthony Green has been the de facto reason for much of the band’s success. For some reason or another, be it his voice, charisma, stage presence, or looks, people seem to really be drawn to anything the man does. This is the case for all 5,000 of his music projects. While this may be a clear exaggeration, there is no denying he is very accomplished in his young age. But underneath this “scene king’s” fame lies a more than competent vocalist. In fact, Green more than likely deserves his fame. The man can sing. Whether you find his voice grating or irritating, there is no denying the power and range he has. I’m happy to report that “Blue Sky Noise” even see’s him improve his already solid vocals. On “Get Out,” his voice is powerful and full of energy. In “Spirit of the Stairwell,” it’s soulful and haunting. He has a much better range of vocal styles, and overall is greatly improved.
Another fault that has plagued the band, is well, the band itself. The band behind Green is really good, and always has been. Yet it seemed like all too often the band was willing to pull back and let Green take control. “On Blue Sky Noise“, the band is finally a much bigger part, enough so that with “Compendium,” they have their own instrumental interlude. All around, the band has improved. The great rhythms, fantastic tempos, and varied sound effects are all here, and polished to incredible results. The acoustic “Spirit in the Stairwell” is moody, and the intro to “The Longest Mile” is groovy, and filled to the brim with personality. It’s great to finally see the band meeting the potential they’ve always had, and then some.
As song writers, the band are just as competent as always. Yet this time around things are a lot more varied, and a lot more interesting. Each song is discernable from the last, and each song is just as good, if not better than the one before it. Every song flows perfectly, and just seems to fit the overall sound and feel of the album as a whole. Honestly, there isn’t a bad song on the entire record. Some songs will get more playtime than others, but as a whole, deciding one’s favorite song could be incredibly difficult. “Frozen Creek” is so impassioned, and the energetic acoustic intro to “Fever Dreams” is wonderfully paced. Each song has it’s own flavor, and that is quite possibly Blue Sky Noise’s greatest success. Lyrically, Green does an admirable job, but as usual, everything is so vague. One can either read to deep, or not deep enough. This makes some things slightly difficult to understand. While this isn’t a deal breaker, I really wish his lyrics would be a little more focused.
“Blue Sky Noise” is a beast of an album. While on the shorter side, it still manages to pack one hell of a punch. So full of life an energy, “Blue Sky Noise” is without a doubt the band’s most well rounded, and accomplished work to date. So to answer the question posed earlier, Circa Survive are definitely in it for the long haul.
