Circa Survive Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
"You'll be relieved when you open up and let yourself seem vulnerable," Anthony Green coaxes on "Your Friends Are Gone," and he and Circa Survive are leading by example with their revealing album On Letting Go. Across a dozen songs, Circa Survive explore their inner workings and feelings, their relationships, their lives, and even their philosophies, delving deep into their psyches along the way. However, for all this exposure, the lyrics are often veiled enough that the group isn't left entirely naked, and sometimes even the themes are obscured. "The Difference Between Medicine and Poison Is in the Dose" is ostensibly about writer's block, but there's more emotional wallop than just that within. "Semi Constructive Criticism" is a bit more straightforward, an apology to a slighted bandmember, and the more obscure "Living Together" delves into the effect of music-making itself -- but is "In the Morning and Amazing..." addressed to a person or an instrument? From the disowning of a wayward parent (the title track) to the philosophical questioning of "Kicking Your Crosses Down" and "Close Your Eyes to See," On Letting Go isn't content to let anything go without dissecting it first. And perhaps because there's so much lyrical intensity within, this time around Circa Survive create a more forthright sound than previously. Of course, the guitars still cascade across the grooves, off-kilter drumbeats still spatter the set, and the band's epic sound remains intact. But now their dramatic shifts are no longer the focus, with melodies coming even more strongly to the fore, along with more variation in styling. Circa Survive are growing at an astounding rate, and this much more mature effort suggests they're now reaching their prime. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Without question, the first noticeable quality about Circa Survive's Juturna debut is frontman Anthony Green's voice: a wailing, whiny instrument, which may just mark his band as the Darkness of the post-emo landscape. Love it or loathe it, you certainly can't ignore it, and by that measure alone it must mean he's onto something, right? Maybe, maybe not, and here's why. Written almost exclusively in an emo-approved first person, his stream-of-consciousness lyrics prove utterly impenetrable, and show no apparent relation to their often smart-aleck song titles ("Holding Someone's Hair Back," "The Glorious Nosebleed," etc.). This inevitably leads one to ponder whether they inhabit a higher plane of meaning, constitute a collection of in-band philosophies yet to be made clear, or simply represent tales told by a fool, signifying nothing. The indistinctive instrumental backing doesn't help matters much. For the most, it's unruly and seemingly stream-of-consciousness, as if the band believes that wandering aimlessly is in itself a sign of progressive songwriting. Not even contemporary comparisons like the Mars Volta approach their neo-prog this loosely, however, and tracks like "Act Appalled," "We're All Thieves," and "Always Getting What You Want," for all their prominent melody lines and muscular riffs, can only hold the attention so long before wafting away into the ether. This winds up diluting the music's impact rather than highlighting its unquestionably daring sonic perspective, with Circa Survive's claims about incorporating heavy metal (a distorted riff alone does not metal make) and progressive rock elements into their songwriting pretty much canceled out by their lack of discipline. In the end, if there's one thing you can't take away from Circa Survive, it's that they're bravely going where few mid-2000s post-emo and hardcore bands have dared; whether they're going anywhere at all, and if music enthusiasts will want to follow them there, remains to be seen. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
