Fantastic modern progressive rock - shifting moods and new horizons to explore
by
Erik Nielsen
For me, first impression is that I like this a lot more than HQ and similar to 2007. This is like saying which $100 bill do I like the best. I'm really impressed with the range of styles and moods in these songs. Shifting moods really seems to be a recurring mode in all the songs. It sounds like some new ground was explored in these songs, away from the direction established in HQ. Right off the bat in the first song "The Story Goes" a new tone is introduced. Very fruitful and inspiring. Thank you Billy, Jimmy, Tony, Jay, Alan, Michael and even Matt! Song by song review follows...
The Story Goes - Ethereal tones at the intro blend into a middle-eastern guitar organ riff that swims into Billy's meditative vocals over acoustic guitar. "Where is the answer when I don't know why?"
Nice subtle bass notes in the background along with the chords. So many changing moods in this one? "Where is the hope for a better tomorrow?"
Some tasty hammond licks trading with guitar and piano - sounds like both Jimmy and Billy playing guitar in the mid section.
A medium tempo rock song with some changing moods and deliberative flow. Some guitar work at times reminds me of Conspiracy. Nice ending section "What do you do with the time you spend?" each line with a nice riff. Great keyboard line burbling along at the end and then a sudden end.
Shifting Sands - Gentle keys with Billy's soft vocals at the intro, very dreamy with the rest of the band gradually coming in. "And the truth will be so clear to see!". A very gentle pace, drums just a rim tap here and there to keep time with a gentle build with subtle layers of instruments being added. A pause for Billy to restate: "And the truth will be so clear to see!" and we're into a gentle electric solo that continues as Billy's vocals come in with the band now on full volume but still in ballad mode. And then, just a little taste the Circa trademark time shift into another solo break. Really nice guitar accents as we are heading into the ending which is a big chord reverberating into the fading notes of the gentle tones from the introduction and Billy's faded vocals swirling to a gentle end.
Life Goes On - LIFE GOES ON full vocal punch to start into a very stuttered rhythm that still chugs along. Some rapid fire drums fills, one after another. "There's always a Chance!". Very interesting break "Watching the world" with the tempo seeming to pick up and up and the energy builds. "There's always a new sunrise!". Lots of shifting moods in this song as well. And now a tasty instrumental break with Billy's bass and more machine gun drums from Jay. Some great unison melody lines between keys and guitar as now we travel through the last chorus to the ending section "Home at last!" is repeated and we repeat the intro with some nice full drum accents.
Pure Intuition - "Gonna be guided by pure intuition" Billy's vocals start things off with a deliberate tone and nice atmospherics that take us into the full band. There's an eerie, dark sound under it all as Billy's vocal effects suggest ghosts and visions. And then into a nice ethnic guitar section with a bit of a middle eastern feel. And out to a heaver restatement of the introduction with some echoes of Kashmir at times. Great acoustic guitar work with eerie guitar strings in the back. An odd quick pounding break and we're back to the chorus. Some really pounding drums in the ending section and Billy's voice takes us out.
Coming at You - Nice instrumental build into a chugging rock beat. Pause and into a meditative vocal section - structure and some instruments remind me of Open Your Eyes. "It's coming at you whether you like or not". A bit of sitar? This really is evoking the song "Open Your Eyes" and in a very good way. Great rocking song. "There's no escaping what the truth means" and a really nice bass tone from Billy. And now we're into a nice medium tempo Jimmy Haun guitar solo. Great drum fill while Tony's keys are pulsing along. We cruise out of the solo into a very dreamy vocal section and back to the serious mode and darker tones. "You better believe there's a war to be won". Lots of great instrumental breaks, drum breaks in the latter third of the song. And now a bonus solo from the Haunster! Nice tone which shifts and blends into some nice panning effects. I wish this was in surround! And the drums continue to build and we're moving and then we're over the cliff and coasting through the clouds in a very gentle fade out on Tony's synth. And we get a nice moment of reflection at the end.
Fate and Destiny - A more traditional rock intro into a medium tempo semi acoustic rock verse. Nice "horn" synths from Tony, really nice. This is a really uplifting melody. "Standing on the corner of Fate and Destiny" - I love that. Nice strings propel us into Jimmy's soaring guitar break. This really has an epic, majestic feel, probably the most "commercial" sounding track I've heard Circa do. Potential to be great concert anthem. Bridge vocals refrain "Only forward motion" echoing HQ. Nice vocal rounds in the latter third as we keep building and being turned toward the sun with the wind in our face and Jimmy's soaring guitar work. And even a fade out ending, the first one so far on this "album".
Words on Paper - Billy's lone voice gets things started and then into full Circa mode with uncertain powerful stabs of sound and rhythm. Billy's voice ripping through "Sacred promises made in vain". This reminds me of sounds from the first album, especially as we go into Jimmy's solo with the staggered rhythms behind and and Billy's fat bass sound. "Holding onto something that desires to be free" with high hat rhythm in the back reminds me of "The Musical Box" by Genesis. Just for a moment like a quote and then we're back. Some nice heavy drums during Jimmy's solo toward the end. "It's gonna take a lot to learn - learn to forgive". I sense a story behind this song.
