This is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I’ve heard in the last year or so, and the album it’s on, Blue Sky Noise, is really incredible. Listening-wise, Circa Survive have always been floating around but I’ve never given them the attention I now realise they deserve. I can’t wait to catch up on the previous albums I’ve missed. Fucking great.
One quick thing, I’ve heard many people complain about their singer’s (Antony Green) voice, using adjectives like “annoying”, “whiny” etc. Yeh, the tone of his voice is undoutedly unusual. However I’d rather describe something that’s new as “unique”, “daring” or “interesting” rather than “weird” or “strange”. Modern listening habits really annoy me. I often find myself encountering the same juxtaposition: The same people that dismiss bands like Circa Surivive more than likely complain that all modern music is homogenous and samey, yet when something truly original comes along they find ways to reduce it, and ultimately don’t give it a proper chance. I frequently find myself asking why people generally criticize a band before they embrace them (this is not really arguable), and maybe half the time it’s due to a genuine dislike, half the time it’s due to the pretentions, restrictions and motives of the listener rather than the quality of the music. Perhaps sometimes the listener has to grow into the music rather than the other way around.
What seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy, and strength, if faced with an open mind - Henry Miller
