Circulatory System - s/t
(Cloud)
Some things you need to know about me, Anthony Gerace:
1. He really liked the Olivia Tremor Control, but, damn it, he thought that "Hideaway" was a bit too sunny.
2. He's recently taken an interest in such neo-psychedelia as Bardo Pond, (later) Unwound, and Tripping Daisy.
3. He's all over The Black Swan Network's The Tour EP.
Now, with that in mind, is it any wonder that I feel the Circulatory System so much? I think not. Taking away the sunny-ness that former OTC-er Bill Doss brought into the mix and replacing it with minor chords and a sense of melancholy, and upping the psych factor with more of a group vibe (check out all that chant-singing!), this is what the Olivia Tremor Control always should have been.
Now, let me backtrack a moment. It probably isn't fair to the Circulatory System to be namedropping OTC so much. However, it's difficult not to do, as the band resembles OTC in so many ways. Take, for instance, the fuzzed out break in the opener, "Yesterday's World." This is reminiscent of the Olivias in both sound and production value. Likewise, the artwork is very similar, so it's hard not to make a comparison.
As was mentioned in fakejazz's The Sunshine Fix review, Will Cullen Hart (the half of OTC behind Circulatory System) always presented the experimental side of OTC, while Bill Doss gave it the sunny, Beach Boys pop angle. As seen in The Sunshine Fix's limp music, Bill Doss on his own does not a stellar musician make. Will Cullen Hart, on the other hand, is a genius. Without Bill's poppy needs, Hart is free to explore a darker side to the music that was hinted at before but never developed this fully. Songs like "Joy" and "Outside Blasts" are extremely dark, letting off a pessimistic sadness that's accentuated by wacky instrumentation and forlorn lyrics. While others like the aforementioned "Yesterday's World" and "Illusion" are poppy, yet have the saddest lyrics of all.
This record is dense. Not just sonically—Cullen Hart is a genius of sound layering—but emotionally. It's tiring. When the last song, "Forever," comes around, with its campfire hymn of "We will live forever and you know it's true," I always end up feeling pretty sad. Well, maybe I should rephrase: I feel sad because of the album itself, not just the song. This whole thing is very, very good, yet quite affecting.
There's something to be said about a group who has come out of a breakup with a "debut" this good; it shows that they have a lot of skill and don't have to rely on a songwriting duo to make good music. Will's profound lyrical styling matches the hazy, dreamy melancholia of the music perfectly, and I enjoy it quite a bit. Pick it up if you don't have it yet; it's a serious recommendation.
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