Review Summary: Juturna is an album that seems to go somewhere and nowhere all at once.
Debut album from Circa Survive, Juturna, can be considered a harrowing epic; a fleeting glimpse into the mind of a ghost lost in the sky above a quiet town that has shut it's lights off for the night. It can be described as a neck to hold the mind of vocalist Anthony Green, who gives off an outstanding performance that lifts the music above it's droning state. It can also be stated as a disappointment; songs that begin and form tremendously only to crash into repetitive tampering. You will find yourself shifting songs at the halfway mark before it turns into the inevitable. Juturna is all of these, an album that seems to go somewhere and nowhere at once.
The potential Circa Survive hold within is hit-you-in-the-face apparent on cuts like the tightly written "In Fear And Faith." Starting with an infectious bassline in a repeating verse, the chorus explodes with a guitar lead that can be argued the best on the album. The track is a supreme example of Circa Survive are capable of and to this day stands as a highlight of their career.
Most of Juturna though, unfortunately, drags on a bit too long and the songs can get rather stale. "Stop The F***kin Car" begins brilliantly with "Don't be alarmed, I feel we're falling back to ground Don't be afraid, I hear in every word they say" and then you're plummeted to the middle of a spiral, each second ending a little worse than the last. I find myself at times listening to just the first half of most of the songs because I know what's about to come is the same thing, only not as well executed. Not all is without your complete attention and willful patience, however. The potential reachable yet not fully realized is heard quite clearly on "We're All Thieves", a slow-burning work, with a chorus that pulses with epicness.
"Meet Me In Montauk/House Of Leaves" closes things off with a paranoid creep-fest; a static thriller of a song, showcasing one final time Green's impressive vocals. "Ive been lying, wide awake paralyzed by the buzzing of the television" sums up the song and coincidently, Juturna.
pos'd
