Showing posts with label Rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rock. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

If I was on an island forever with one CD..



















Blue Sky Noise [Deluxe Version] (by Circa Survive)

Tracklist:
1.) "Strange Terrain" - 3:59
2.) "Get Out" - 3:05
3.) "Glass Arrows" - 4:12
4.) "I Felt Free" - 3:56
5.) "Imaginary Enemy" - 4:24
6.) "Through the Desert Alone" - 4:06
7.) "Frozen Creek" - 4:59
8.) "Fever Dreams" - 4:34
9.) "Spirit of the Stairwell" - 5:30
10.) "The Longest Mile" - 4:04
11.) "Compendium" - 1:49
12.) "Dyed in the Wool" - 4:58
13.) "I Felt Free (Safe Camp Sessions) [Acoustic Version]" - 4:13
14.) "Dyed in the Wool (Safe Camp Sessions) [Acoustic Version]" - 4:08
15.) "100 Steps (Demo) [Bonus Track]" - 3:41

What it's about:
I won't lie; I'm in love with this CD. This is an incredibly biased opinion. But is that so bad? I have never encountered a band that plays quite the same as Anthony Green and his crew of East Coast comrades.
From start to finish, this record is audio ecstasy. Strange Terrain leads off with a kind of surreal sound that is extremely hard to pin down (but is infinitely enjoyable). The next personal favorite comes up with the hard-hitting Glass Arrows. The midsection of the record is held up by the uplifting tracks Imaginary Enemy and Through the Desert Alone. The best songs toward the end is the joyful and free-flowing Dyed in the Wool. This synopsis of the Cd really can never be fair, because everything is just so good on Circa's work this time around.
The best song out of the bonus songs (by far) is the acoustic version of Dyed in the Wool. They slowed the pace down a little, which allowed the track to really lend itself to the organic nature of an acoustic cover.
If there is one CD that you look into after reading my blog this year, make it this one!

5 out of 5 Nate-Points

Yeah.. there's a bear in the picture.



















Above The Golden State (by Above The Golden State)

Tracklist:
1.) "Loud and Clear" - 3:47
2.) "Gaze Into Your Eyes" - 3:23
3.) "Sound of Your Name" - 3:26
4.) "Streets" - 4:40
5.) "I'll Love You So" - 3:09
6.) "Comeback" - 3:05
7.) "Love" - 3:42
8.) "Chapter 13" - 1:34
9.) "Scared" - 3:26
10.) "One Thirty-Nine" - 3:58
11.) "The Haunting" - 4:49
12.) "All My Heart" - 4:01
13.) "Real to Reel" - 3:32

What it's about:
I'm one of the first people you'll hear talking about how Christian bands have mostly lost their touch. From what I've seen, the vast majority are in it to make a quick buck off people willing to buy any uninspired music labeled "Christian."
Having said that, Above The Golden State is the real deal. They obviously have but their hearts into it, and that's why they deserve to be listed on this blog. They've got great tracks (the best of which are Comeback and Sound of Your Name), big hooks, and spot-on harmonies.
For those that are totally geographically illiterate, the band is from Portland, Oregon. They tap into just enough of the laid-back West Coast to make a nice blend of pop-rock with a Christian flair.

3.5 out of 5 Nate-Points