Review Summary: Circa Survive navigates new waters without going overboard.
When a band gains popularity, they are often faced with a conflict: Should they stay true to their original musical ambitions, or should they write more accessible music to accommodate a more mainstream audience? Although Circa Survive have not achieved any sort of mainstream success, nor have they "sold out", they have changed their sound in a way that hints at what a less independent group would write to reap the benefits of a larger fan base. This may sound as though I'm calling the band a "sellout", but the new style (or variety thereof) in "Blue Sky Noise" is definitely not a hindering factor, as a whole.
On Letting Go was a solid follow-up to
Juturna. The album offered up a unique style; a formula that worked great with Anthony Green's strange (in a good way) voice. The problem was that almost every song on the album followed this pattern. Although it was definitely written to grow on the listener, it was fairly easy to get confused as to which song you were listening to.
The most obvious flaw with
On Letting Go-variation-became one of the most obvious strengths with "Blue Sky Noise". But did they overdo it? I'm glad to say they did not stray unnecessarily far. Past attempts at a completely diverse album from other groups have turned out to be utter abominations (the first thing that comes to mind is the failure that was Panic at the Disco's
Pretty. Odd.). While the song that would have fit in best on their past album ("Glass Arrows") is still a completely new sound, there are no absurd bastardizations of other musical genres.
During one's first time listening through "Blue Sky Noise", they will be delightfully surprised each time a new song comes on. The mood of the album changes sporadically, from the bombastic "Get Out" and "Through the Desert Alone", to the calm "Frozen Creek" and "Dyed in the Wool", the
Blue Sky Noise is an adventure of highs and lows.
Circa Survive has written an album that is stylistically less predictable and more accessible, while maintaining the level of creativity that listeners enjoyed on their previous work.
