I was trying to find the piece on Anthony (I thought it was Alt Press, right around Desenscus release) about Anthony's addition, hiding it from his family, etc. Anyone remember where that article was?
Circa Survive's 'Descensus': Heroin, A Near-Death Experience & A Record That Shouldn't Have Been @irthesteve
Well, "early Circa" is the key. They've drifted pretty far from material like that over the years, much to my dismay. I'd be pleasantly surprised -- but, no doubt, very surprised -- if they ever put out a record in that vein again. Plus, you have a large number of newer fans who genuinely think BSN is better than the two records preceding it. I've often wondered whether the stylistic shifts after OLG were the result of a corresponding shift in songwriting duties between members. If so, this flyermile stuff hints that maybe Steve was a bigger contributor in the early days.
Blue Sky Noise is the best Circa Survive album. I love them all, but I think their albums Blue Sky Noise and forward are just so much more diverse and interesting, both musically and lyrically.
Could not disagree more. Ha The guitar on BSN is so much less layered and therefore so much less interesting to me. I really miss the dueling that Colin and Brendan had on those first two records. They were constantly pulling and pushing while still driving the song forward. Couple songs on descensus make me believe they can still do that sound.
Being that Juturna is my favorite album ever, I'd love to hear them bring back some similar elements. Fucking love listening to that album on headphones...the guitars are all over the place in the best fucking way possible. Sorry...I'm just really passionate about that album.
Listening to the stems they sent out with the deluxe version made me really appreciate the guitar work on that album even more than I did already.
I do really enjoy BSN but I gotta go with Juturna/On Letting Go ahead of them. Although, I love jamming to Get Out in the summer.
On Letting Go is my favorite Circa record but BSN is quite close behind it. I used to rank Juturna at the bottom of their discography but now I'd probably rank it as my number 3. The sound on their early records is what drew me into the band, but I've found their progression into a somewhat heavier, more straightforward rock-tinged sound really intriguing as well. All of their records sound fresh and energetic to me. They're a great example of a band who has never strayed too far from their original sound yet still keeps things engaging and exciting.
BSN is what got me into them in the first place. The record helped me at a time when I needed it most. The lyrics spoke to me like no other record had done previously. That same year (2010) in November, I saw them perform acoustic and met them, and then saw them live like a couple of hours later that same day on their BSN tour with dredg (another one of my favorite bands). One of the best shows I've ever been to.
I got into the band a few months before BSN, so that album and those first two all have a very special place in my heart and are among my favorite albums ever released. I enjoy the direction they've gone in since, especially with Descensus. This band just keeps releasing such high quality work that I've never pined for an album to sound like their earlier work. In fact, I don't think they've strayed far from those first two albums at all. A little bit, sure, but their last three albums definitely still fall from the same tree. Anyway, this discussion has me really excited for whatever's next.
Does everyone have a least favorite circa song? I can never get through phantasmagoria. The only way they'd drop from my top 3 is if the next album is that sound from top to bottom. Ha
Never thought about a least favorite, but my favorite is easily,"We're All Thieves." It encapsulates everything that is perfect about Circa, imo.
At first, I thought this read that We're All Thieves was your least favorite song and I was gonna have a heart attack. Anyway, my least favorite is Bad Heart. It's the only song of theirs that I don't enjoy. My favorite is Lazarus. That song is massive.
I only mentioned least because my favorite changes once every few months. Today, it is Frozen Creek but I think that is because we are in "july winter" in SF.
My favorite is a battle between at least half the tracklist on OLG. Probably one of the first two tracks, though. Least favorite? Probably "I Felt Free," "Imaginary Enemy," "Brother Song," or "Child of the Desert."