On Circles

Description

The long-standing cinematic rock band Caspian does not want you to label their fifth album 'On Circles' as "redemption," "return," "rising from the ashes," or any other sentiment that emerges when bands come back from nearly five years of silence. Instead, this majestic collision of post-rock, metal, shoegaze, electronic, noise, and ambient music is an existential meditation, an acceptance of the cyclical nature of life and career. Produced by Will Yip (Code Orange, Defeater, Quicksand, Turnstile), 'On Circles' marks the most organic writing and recording sessions in Caspian's 15-year history. Together during four week-long songwriting sessions, the band (joined by the new propulsive drummer Justin Forrest) opted for bright music with visceral impact instead of overly thought-out entanglements, global concepts, and endless crescendos. 'On Circles' is an art-rock record, swirling with world-quarter saxophones, dubby textures, and 7/8 rhythms. The two epic tracks, "Division Blues" and "Ishmael," feature the apocalyptic cello of Jo Quail (Myrkyr, Winterfylleth, Poppy Ackroyd). The melancholic "Nostalgist" showcases the voice of Pianos Become The Teeth's singer, Kyle Durfey. For the first time, each piece is meant to be standalone. "These are just songs we wrote together over a year while trying to have a good time and reclaim what is simple in all of this," explains Jamieson. "Make no mistake, we constantly kicked our own asses and stayed awake staring at the ceiling thinking about song structures all night for a year... but being freed from the egg yolk of seeing our music relentlessly trying to answer the impossible was liberating and humbling." Avoiding many of the giant, enveloping guitar walls of previous Caspian albums, the songs on 'On Circles' even take circular paths, with no beginning or end.