Album Review: Circa Survive – Two Dreams (Rise Records)

Last year, Circa Survive dropped a pair of EPs: A Dream About Love and A Dream About Death, each loaded with boundary-pushing music from the beloved alt-prog/post-hardcore giants. On 16th December, the band will release Two Dreams, a combined full-length featuring both EPs available together digitally, on CD, and vinyl with special packaging.

What a bittersweet release this is. The two EPs put together for one last album as the band has announced an indefinite hiatus. It’s not necessarily a goodbye but it is very much a ‘see you later’.

Twelve tracks long, Two Dreams is the alt/post/prog metal band at their absolute best. Sure, it’s not new music and fans will already be familiar with everything it has to offer but that doesn’t mean it isn’t just as enjoyable as it was last year. In fact, with the shadow of the hiatus hanging over it, a lot of the tracks take on even deeper meaning.

A band that always had a reliability to them. A band that always came across honest and believable. That is exemplified by the incredible melodic passion of opener Imposter Syndrome. A track that many a creative can relate too. Though, it’s far from the only track to touch the heart and soul.

Drift is an apt title as it embodies a sense of weightlessness and the vocals curl around the mind effortlessly. Whereas Our Last Shot is dramatic and eccentric in the most captivating of ways. Then there is Even Better, which has a pleasant rhythm, Gone for Good mellow and soft cradling, and Sleep Well’s exceptional effects-driven beat and piano melody. These tracks make up the first EP, A Dream of Love.

The second EP, A Dream of Death makes up the second half of the album and features a new level of progressive eccentricity, but one that is recognisably Circa Survive.

The blend of chiptune-style electronica and shoegaze atmosphere on Electric Moose is an immediate attention grabber. However, the deeply moving Curritiba might be the best track on the album overall. Thanks to Circa Survive’s brilliant blend of emotive subtly and melodic power.

With Latenap, they get weird. Well, weirder than they’ve been so far. Yet, they are so good at challenging perceptions and expectations, it ends up being one of the most anthemic tracks overall. Following that slice of brilliance up with even more odd tones in the form of the eclectic Discount on Psychic Readings and the chilled rhythm of Die on the West Coast.

All good things must come to and end though and Circa Survive call time on the album and their career (for now, hopefully) with the final track of the A Dream of Death EP. It’s Buzzhenge and it is one of the most emotionally wrought tracks of the bunch because of the post melodies, the wonderful atmosphere and comforting vocals.

It’s brilliant. Both EPs were amazing in their own right and putting them together just makes a stunner of an album. We’ll miss Circa Survive but what a way to bow out.

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