I discovered Circus of the West in 2017 with the release of their debut album, We’ll See Ourselves Out. Like many indie bands, Circus of the West isn’t in this for the money, or because they hold much hope of becoming the next Arcade Fire (although they probably wouldn’t mind).
No, the band members simply love making music — and in Circus of the West’s case, that translates into “theatrical pop infused with guitar-driven rock energy.”
The band is led by a trio of…gulp…attorneys, who are partners in a major Minneapolis-based law firm. Now, don’t click away. Frontmen include singer-songwriter and keyboardist, Ed Caldie. Ben Court on lead guitar. And another guitarist, Joel Leviton. The three are joined by Jason Kapel on bass and David Hoffman on drums.
And not surprisingly, they’ve put those good brains to use writing songs about “loss, hope, identity, and connection” with an intelligence that’s rare in indie pop rock.
For example, on the band’s 2017 debut album, “Asma” is a song about Asma al-Assad, the London born and raised First Lady of Syria, whose benign acceptance of her husband’s — Bashar al-Assad’s — actions in that war-torn country have raised more than a few eyebrows.
On their latest release, Ring, they delve deeply into a variety of life stories with lyrics that I’m still exploring. Rest assured, these songs are about more than “boy meets girl…falls in love…and lives happily ever.”
Caldie’s vocals are ideal for the theatrics that are woven into many of the compositions — which often swell into full rock anthems like some of Queen’s songs. And always, the melodies on Ring are catchy and fun.
Track highlights: The seven-song set opens with “Giant Slayer,” which fades in so slowly that you’ll likely check to see if you pushed the play button. From that soft beginning, the song builds into a big rock anthem that would work well in any arena.
Track 3, “Alex And The Knot,” is a pristine piano ballad that, again, starts sparely before swelling into an anthem with roaring, distorted guitars, soaring vocals and playful synths. Caldie’s singing is at times reminiscent of the Bare Naked Ladies — and this is one of those tunes.
Ring’s most beautiful song is the exquisite “Love Always.” A mid-tempo pop ballad, it opens with strummed guitar and chimey piano. But the arrangement shifts into almost a folk rock sound, with an energetic rhythm created with brushes on drums. Perfection!
The fifth track, “Saint Teresa,” is intriguing — opening with dramatic vocals that sound like they’ve been sung over diner sound effects. Then, the song suddenly shifts into an up-tempo pop masterpiece, with a strong backbeat and brass trimmings.
Really, every track on Ring is excellent. This is a band that deserves more recognition than it receives…although I’ll hold off on telling you to fly to Twin Cities to catch one of their live shows until we can all comfortably do that again — without any lawsuits.
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