Circa Survive - The Amulet (September 22, 2017) Album • Page 92

I agree with the title track. The lyrics in that track are probably my favorite from them. I clung on to them a lot back in the day.

 

Time for Blue Sky Noise.

Strange Terrain is such a great open to the album. This song has the perfect blend of their pop sensibilities being on full display on this album while also retaining the weirdness of the prior albums. The guitars and drums are flurrying and the song has such a great flow to it. Get Out is a fucking banger that I'm liable to get whiplash every time I set it live. Glass Arrows is a nice callback to their older sound with its atmoapheric nature and odd 5/4 time signature in its verses. Love the childrens choir in the bridge. I Felt Free is the most divisive song on this album. I've always liked it. It's Circa at their most simplistic on this album. It's a love song and I'm a fan of its place on the album.

Imaginary Enemy is another song that I think bridges their old sound with the sound they employed on this album. The verses have such a prog groove to them while the chorus soars amd the bridge is massive. I love how it transitions into Through The Desert Alone, which is my favorite on here. It's oretty much perfect. The intro always puts me in a trance and the chorus is huge. I love the atmosphere to the song. Honestly, everyone in the band is at 100% here. Killer guitars from Colin and Brendan, Steve lays down some great work on drums, Anthony's lyrics and melodies are fantastic here and cut deep for me, AND THEN THERE'S NICK WITH THAT NASTY BASS RIFF AFTER THE FIRST CHORUS. And then Frozen Creek is a wonderful breather after the duo of Enemy and Desert. I love both the album and live version of Frozen Creek. I think it works very well as thr album's ballad.

Fever Dreams is sick. I love that it made it onto the album. I read somewhere back in 2010 or 2011 that Anthony got into a heated argument with the label about that song being on the album. They didn't want it on but Anthony said they wouldn't release the album without it on and I'm so glad the band won there. This song rules hard. It's so weird and spacey and the climax is awesome. Spirit Of The Stairwell is so sad lyrically and the music reflects that perfectlt. The Longest Mile gets my vote for biggest grower from this album. This song is a fun jam and I love that bridge. I also really like the lyrics that detail of this emotional journey Anthony and the band have been on and how it also acts as this pseudo-penultimate track on the album, like the lyrics are also about the journey of this album. The duo of Compendium and Dyed In The Wool is simply wonderful and the latter is another perfect example, like Strange Terrain, of the band blending their former and current (at the time) sounds well. The children choir coming back for the chorus makes this song. The lyrics cut deep.

This was the first album cycle I was on board as a fan for and this album has carved a very special place in my heart for itself. Much like On Letting Go, this album was another part of the soundtrack to a depressing time in my life. If On Letting Go represented the confusion I felt, Blue Sky Noise represented the clarity I found. This album pulled me out of the depressing period I was struggling to get through at the time. I know this album is very divisive among fans and I understand why, but I will always go to bat for it and I will die on this hill. Blue Sky Noise is my second favorite album from this band and would probably find its way into my top 20 favorite albums of all time.

And now my dumb song ranking:

Through The Desert Alone
Get Out
Glass Arrows
Dyed In The Wool
Frozen Creek
Fever Dreams
Strange Terrain
The Longest Mile
Imaginary Enemy
Spirit Of The Stairwell
I Felt Free
Compendium

 

Violent Waves

Birth Of The Economic Hit Man is a great opener. I think it sets the tone for the album pretty well and it's an easy standout on the album. The chorus and the climactic bridge are really great. I always criminally underrate this song and I'm not sure why. Sharp Practice is fun jam, but I'm not as high on it as I'm sure many fans and the band are. It's not as interesting as some of the other stuff on the album. Suitcase is a cool song that I've been connecting to a bit lately. I've always felt like it was a song that just plodded along though, despite having a dreamy atmosphere and a cool drum pattern. The Lottery is the best song on this album if you ask me and it's not even close. Love the guitarwork that Brendan and Colin lay down in the verses. The chorus is fantastic with two of my favorite vocalists in music, Anthony Green and Geoff Rickly.

My Only Friend has grown on me a bit. Steve crushes it on this song. The verses have such a great groove to them. Phantasmagoria is a bit of an oddball here and feels like the only misstep. I'll echo what many have mentioned before that it feels like an AG solo song. The lyrics are Anthony's weakest in Circa to date, in my opinion. This is also probably the only song in the band's discography I'd describe as mediocre. Think Of Me When They Sound gives the album a chance to rebound though. I really like the sparsity to this song and hearing all the layers of Anthony's vocals overtop the hypnotic guitarwork. Brother Song is cool, despite it being another song that kinda just plods along. Brendan kills it on that solo though.

I think the strongest portion of the album though is the closing trio. Bird Sounds is one of the more interesting songs on the albums. I like how airy it sounds and Steve does a great job at keeping this song moving along nicely. Blood From A Stone is one of my favorites on the album. I love Anthony's lyrics on this one and how mellow the song is overall. The bridge/outro is an album highlight for me, specifically Anthony's delivery of "I wanna bring you back/I WANNA BRING YOU BACK." That part really gets me. I'll Find A Way makes for a strong finish. It took a while for this song to really click with me, but I think it sounds huge, especially the further into the song you get. Anthony's lyrics on this one are also very comforting to me, especially as I've been dealing with depression and anxiety issues for the last couple years as well as going through sobriety this year.

Overall, this is a strange album. I think it's a good album, but it definitely fails to reach the numerous heights of the band's previous three albums and so it feels like a bit of a misstep. There are a lot of good songs on here, but not a lot of great ones. I feel like this album struggles the most in having an identity for itself within the band's discography. Overall, this is certainly my least favorite album of the band's to date.

And now my dumb song ranking:

The Lottery
Birth Of The Economic Hit Man
Blood From A Stone
I'll Find A Way
Bird Sounds
Suitcase
Sharp Practice
My Only Friend
Think Of Me When They Sound
Brother Song
Phantasmagoria

Honestly, after the top five it's a crapshoot aside from Phantasmagoria. 6-10 are all interchangeable to me.

 

Appendage is excellent smh

 

Love it. It's so urgent too. My top Juturna tracks are:

House of Leaves
Wish Resign
Glorious Nosebleed
In Fear and Faith
Oh, Hello

 

Appendage

I wanted to write a short blurb for this EP because it contains a few of my favorite songs by the band. Sleep Underground and Stare Like You'll Stay are cool, but Every Way, Backmask, and Lazarus are all top tier songs by the band IMO. Every Way carries a lot of emotional weight for me, Backmask has fantastic groove and some fantastic vocals and guitar work, and Lazarus is just an all-around beast of a song and very easily a top 5 track by the band.

It's obvious to me that these songs came from the same headspace as BSN (which makes sense), but I think they work really well as their own release. In fact, I'm glad they were left off the album. I think BSN works nearly perfectly the way it is, and this EP is a great extension of that sound. I would go absolutely nuts if they toured BSN in full in 2020 and played an encore with these songs.

 

I will continue to say that violent waves is their best album and get shit for it

Also the album for this thread like isn't being talked about, weird. I thought it was okay, mostly filler tracks.

 

I definitely don’t think it’s full of filler tracks. There’s a lot that went into all the songs on here, maybe you arnt vining with them but to me “filler” means songs just thrown on an album to fill space, I think everything here is essential to the album.

 

There has been a lot of discussion about the album since it first leaked. After it had been out for a full week, myself and several other users in the thread decided to do a discography run, which is what a lot the more recent posts have been a part of. Once we all hit The Amulet I'm sure the discussion about that album will pick up again.

 

I’m not hearing any filler tracks either. They all serve a purpose and each one is unique.

 

Started my morning off with Descensus so here we go.

Schema is a blistering opener. I love this song a ton. I love how aggressive it is and the drum and bass locked groove in the verses is a highlight in the band's discography for me (perhaps because I'm also a drummer haha). I love the feedback/echo/whatever after every snare hit in the verses. Gives me chills. The chorus is huge and I love the lead riff in the song's bridge. I honestly think this is one of the best songs the band has ever done.

Child Of The Desert is a really cool song to me. The 5/4 feel works really well and thr creepy atmosphere builds up to the explosive outro so well for me. The outro is cut up perfectly between 8 and 6 (I think, @teebs41 help me out here) and it's so awesome. Always Begin is a jam amlnd a half. Love the groove Steve lays down here and the bouncy rhythm is only enhanced by Colin and Brendan's great work, especially with the delay or whatever it'd be called in the beginning that comes back aroubd later.

Who Will Lie With Me Now is a strange outlier here. I think it's fine, but it doesn't add much for me. Only The Sun is fantastic though. It's such a great callback to the Juturna/OLG days with its dizzying guitar work. Props to Steve for all of the cook fills he pulls off in this song and keeping them all different and fresh. Nesting Dolls is a beauty with its almost post rock feel. The lyrics cut really deep for me. I love how it serves as the centerpiece for the album. The live version of this song is otherworldly.

Quiet Down is a good one, but it doesn't stand out as much to me as practically any other track. Phantom is really cool. I love it when the band employs electronic aspects to their sound like they have on Only The Sun and Battle My Love. I'd be down to hear more stuff like this in the future. Brendan and Colin are the MVPs on this song. Their work is stunning here.

Sovereign Circle is awesome. I feel like this is another song similar to the Juturna/OLG days, perhaps more OLG. The dreamy verses in 6/4 time going into the 8/4 time with that dazzling riff in the prechorus back to 6/4 time in the chorus is seamless. The song's chorus is fucking huge. Anthony soars on this song. I hope I get to see it live some day.

And then there's Descensus, which is just massive. I love how unrelenting the verses and chorus are and the bridge is seriously great. I know some fans aren't as into the lengthy bridges as others, but it always leaves me dazed with all the layers of guitars and Anthony singing in his lower register before the song ultinately builds back up. It's another fantastic closer for this band.

This album is so much fun to listen to. I love how heavy and aggressive the band is here while also beibg able to keep their signature atmospheric and spacey sound in tact, as well as implent different influences from post rock to metal to electronic stuff. I think this is the most varied album in the band's discography. This album blew me away right from the first listen and still manages to impress me almost three years later. It honestly has blunced back and forth with Juturna for my #3 spot, but I gotta give Juturna the edge there now with my nostalgia for it and how much that album changed my life.

And now my dumb song ranking:

Schema
Descensus
Nesting Dolls
Only The Sun
Sovereign Circle
Child Of The Desert
Always Begin
Phantom
Quiet Down
Who Will Lie With Me Now?

 

Violent Waves

I started to write up a track-by-track analysis of the record, but I don't think that's really what I want to do anymore. I'm conflicted about this one. It is easily my least favorite thing the band has done and contains more than one song that I'd put at the bottom of their discography. That being said, I still actually enjoy the album for the most part and think it has some really great songs - the opener and closer, Suitcase, Sharp Practice, The Lottery. It's mostly the middle and back end of the record that gives me trouble. I've never been able to connect well with Phantasmagoria, Think of Me..., Brother Song, or Blood From A Stone (although I know that last one seems to be a favorite on the album around here). I still, at the very least, think they're decent songs, but they definitely pale in comparison to the rest of the record and the rest of the band's work.

Part of the reason why I struggle to connect with this album as much as the rest of their discography isn't necessarily the album's fault. When it came out, I was in the very heart of the darkest and most toxic period of my life. That coupled with the fact that I think this is sonically their darkest record can make it a difficult listen. Even though it has been years since that shit went down, I've yet to be able to divorce those memories from the music. It could be a long time before I'm able to do that, if ever. I guess, sadly, where their other albums have helped to pull me out of hard times, this album sort of makes me relive them, and that is just not something I can shake.

Despite all of that, I'd still give this record a 7 or 8, depending on my mood and the day. It is by no means a bad album, and I'll always include it in my Circa Survive discography runs (which I'm sensing will probably become a monthly occurrence for me). Something has to be at the bottom, and this just so happens to be it.

Top three songs on the album are probably Birth of the Economic Hitman, I'll Find A Way, and Suitcase. The Lottery is sooooo close to being on that list, also.

 

@ImAMetaphor i hear ya on Violent Waves when you say something's gotta be at the bottom. It's a strange album because there's a lot of good songs there, but none of them manage to really stand out amongst each other and especially amongst the band's discography.

 

It’s sort of nuts
The first two are always 8 and 6
So it’s like 8 and 6 and 8 and 8
8 6 8 and 7
8 6 8 and 10? Idk I tried to count it out once and the last one of the 4 is always different. They use that gap too and add a beat or two there which makes it even more interesting.

 

Yep, exactly. This band has some dizzying highs across their discography and VW just doesn't quite sit among them. However, that doesn't mean it's not still a really cool album.

 

ill do some quickfire thoughts too but as usual ill touch more on lyrics just because im a nerd

Juturna: very chilly and cold feeling. lots of lyrics about being an outcast, not fitting in, and the effects that other people can have on you. Act Appalled is a prime example. Cant forget Eternal Sunshine references of course. also lots of small references to drug abuse. My favorite Circa record and a masterpiece

OLG: a bit more aggressive, darker, feels like Circas attempt at a straight rock record while still retaining their prog/experimental influences and sounds. topically broader, tackling religion, addiction, abuse, and faint political undertones. Songs like Semi Constructive Criticism and The Difference can be seen as veiled jabs at the Bush administration. Lots of surreal imagery, almost reminds me of In The Aeroplane Over The Sea at time. Great record. Either my 2nd or 3rd fav.

BSN: a bit more diverse sonically. sounds like Circas version of an indie rock record. acoustic strums, snaking guitar lines, jangly rhythms and massive hooks. still has that unique Circa sound just through a different lens. lyrically more internal and than OLG was. more references to addiction. also references to this idea of being on the edge of something. be it literally with suicidal thoughts or figuratively, kind of like Anthony is "walking on eggshells" so to speak. this one changes with OLG as far as 2nd/3rd fav.

VW: honestly this feels like they tried to go MORE proggy and weirder. it works at times but falls flat at others. biggest issue here is the production. still, has some great songs. The Lottery is a great reference to the short story of the same name and is an interesting observation on society, references to Platos "Cave" theory and other off the wall references abound as well. more talk of Anthonys heroin addiction and his struggle with overcoming it as well. lyrically a very strong album, just a shame the production and "eh" instrumentals bring it down. my least favorite, but something has to be last and its still a good album.

Descensus: possibly more musically diverse than BSN. use of organ and keys adds a cool new texture on a couple tracks. incorporating some metal and post rock is a great fit with the Circa sound. LOTS of references to addiction, getting clean, and struggling to find purpose. a truly fantastic album. its prob my 4th or 5th favorite? which feels odd because at times it could be my favorite of them all. idk. its just great.

The Amulet: now that i can finally read the lyrics, yeah, this is my favorite lyrical outing my Anthony. lots of political strife, quite a few references to death and tragedy as well. musically its an odd beast, a mixture of Juturna and some of the more aggressive cuts from OLG/BSN. the two Hex tracks are great pieces of music that show off how great AG is as a lyricist despite how abstract he can be. a great album. a great catalog. what a band

 

I like these takes. I thought it'd be of interest to you/others that I was reading a Reddit AMA this band did for Descensus and the lyrics to Juturna came up. According to Anthony, the line "your face is light and cocaine white" was Colin's idea because Colin thought it was an interesting/creative way to describe somebody who looked pale. Anthony did say he preferred using opiates at the time of writing/recording Juturna though. That album is fascinating, especially lyrically.

 

Finally wrapped up my album run-through with The Amulet.

I think Lustration is a great opener. It sets the tone for the album well. Steve does great work in the verses and the groove of this song is so nice. I love how this band is unafraid to just sit on a feel and groove like they do in this song's bridge/outro. They showed that with Descensus and they show it here again. Never Tell A Soul is a good one. It's really grown on me. I takes a lot of twists and turns, especially within the second verse. That took some getting used to, but I'm all about it now, especially the part where Anthony is crooning after belting out in the distant background while Steve pounds away on the toms. Premonition Of The Hex is really cool. This is another one that has such a sweet groove and a great lock between Steve and Nick. Brendan and Colin do fantastic work here, as this song really puts me in a trance. That section where Anthony, Brendan, and Colin drop out and it's just drums and bass is awesome and it's even better when Anthony comes a sings over top the drums and bass.

Tunnel Vision is one of my favorites. I think Brendan and Colin bring this song to life with their dreamlike riffs, especially in the song's outro as Anthony sings in his falsetto. I think the song also features one of the stronger choruses on this album. At Night It Gets Worse is cool, though I'm not as high on it as others are on here. I do like the mood and atmosphere the song creates, but it doesn't suck me into its world as much as other songs on here do. Steve lays down an awesome rhythm on the song though. Very subtle but great work. Stay is really neat and short burst of energy. Love the wild riffs on this one and how explosive the drums are here. It's placement is very nice as something short and sweet to latch onto after the lengthy At Night It Gets Worse.

Rites Of Investiture has a nasty bass riff and I like how aggressive and heavy it gets, but, for whatever reason, it hasn't clicked with me quite yet. Neither has The Hex. I think both these songs are good, but they are my least favorites on here after 10+ listens. However, the album ends on a very strong note for me. Flesh And Bone is my favorite song on the album. I've loved it ever since I saw them play it for their VIP set on the OLG 10-year tour. It's simplistic, but I think that's a strength of the song. It's something that I can get lost in easily and it always gives me chills. The Amulet is another stellar closer from this band. This song flows so well. It's got some of Anthony's best lyrics on the album and maybe to date, the chorus is powerful, that bass riff is hypnotic, and the bridge/outro is such a highlight on the album. Hearing Anthony go off like that feels earned after listening to him utilize his falsetto much more on this album.

Overall, this is an interesting album for me. It's growing on me more and more with each listen. I feel like it doesn't reach as many heights like most of this band's other albums, but there is a lot to like and appreciate here. I think its spot in the band's discography is unique as the band is much more mellow here and Anthony continues to wow us vocally, this time through his falsetto. I hope that this is an album I grow to appreciate more and more over time and I am looking forward to seeing some of these songs live this fall.

And now my dumb song ranking:

Flesh And Bone
The Amulet
Lustration
Tunnel Vision
Premonition Of The Hex
Stay
Never Tell A Soul
At Night It Gets Worse
Rites Of Investiture
The Hex

And now my dumb album ranking:

On Letting Go
Blue Sky Noise
Juturna
Descensus
The Amulet
Violent Waves

 

I put Descensus firmly at the bottom, rather than VW, which seems to be the consensus.

"Only the Sun" and "Nesting Dolls" are the only tracks I actively come back to.

I was just trying to give some of it another fair shake this morning, and I have to say, Anthony's vocals really bring it down. "Sovereign Circle" has some cool riffs, but honestly... dude just doesn't sound good on the chorus. Almost sickly and hoarse. To a lesser extent, those type of vox plague parts of several other songs, too.

I'm doubly thankful for how good he sounds on the new record after that listen.

 

Anthony's vocals on the chorus of Sovereign Circles are one of my favorite vocal moments on that album. Haha

 

Descensus or BSN are my least favorite circa records as far as Anthony's voice goes.

 

But when Anthing says "We let it go too far" on the title track.... goddamn I feel it.

 

I should change my name to Cocaine White.

 

People forget how much hype Anthony had around him from the Saosin EP. The reception to that EP and a couple singles got Saosin a major label deal.

 

I get that, but the album definitely veers in a much weirder and different direction than TTN did. Dude is very lucky to have such a loyal fanbase.