Crop Circle have been around for more than a few years as part of the Vancouver indie scene and although they’ve only one album to their credit they have a loyal following of fans and are a presence on local radio and in the clubs.
Their debut album Come Inside, is an 11 track slap upside the head for the listener, as the songs range from a cross between country and 60′s psychedelic, heavy metal, ballads (with a punk flair), and good hard rock.
The opener, Capitalist Bitch sets the tone for the remainder of the album although this song in particular reminded me of Chris Cornell in Jesus Christ Pose (in a good way)
He Said She Said is rougher and tougher and unfortunately I’m unable to decipher much of the lyrics as the tone is more Garage Band and less polished, which is too bad because I really do like the overall feel of the tune.
Recent Stranger is where Crop Circle starts to hook me. With a catchy chorus and a definite swing to the beat I find myself tapping not only my foot but other objects around me, and as suspected- the chorus is stuck in my head for days.
The harmonies in Come Inside show the band’s versatility and talent as they blend their distinctly different voices together pleasingly, EVEN THOUGH they are all singing slightly different lyrics. It catches my attention and makes the song distinctly their own.
Harmony is by far my favorite song off the album- the intro is dark and mysterious and has that quality that enables your imagination to fill in the blanks as the song progresses. I find myself yearning for more songs like this one.
Running is very much a Heavy Metal track and despite my aversion to screaming lyrics in general, the song instills in me the adage of ‘look to yourself before pointing fingers at others.’ A song with a message in spite of the loudness – no fluff here.
Hideaway has an incredible guitar lick and I’m in love with Darbey’s drums at the start of the song. Its a very unusual song with fantastic staccato lyrics from Sean McCormick, who’s vocals are punctuated by the off beat of the drum and the bass line (album bass is played by Todd Kerns who also produced the cd). I think it’s the best song on the album, both technically and sonically.
Ottawa is lighter in tone and texture from the get-go, with a snappy drum that hooks you and sucks you in. Its the best written song from a lyrical standpoint- and paints a clear picture of what the song is about.
Monger – Another Heavy Metal song that again is not grabbing me either sonically or lyrically. It starts out very discordant (on purpose) before levelling off into the actual beat of the song, and is just ‘average’ imho.
The Other Side starts out reminding me of Emerson Lake and Palmer’s Lucky Man for some strange reason – or an old skool Rush tune… it gets your brain into the immediate vibe of tuning out and just listening. It’s almost trancelike in the chorus as well as the lyrics, and Garbet’s guitar work is definitely part of the reason. This one is also fast becoming a favorite track.
Left Behind is the album’s token Ballad, although there is nothing ‘token’ about it. I love it. McCormick’s vocals are clear and crisp and powerful, the lyrics are well written and the musicianship just flows effortlessly and expertly. Everything about this song is stellar.
Harmony is the closing track and I’m glad they didn’t end the album on a ballad, as much as I love Left Behind. Better to go out with a bit of a bang – and some mood music. Another trance like song that is reminiscent of early Nirvana or Alice in Chains with heavy guitars and lyrics that are completely open to interpretation.
All in all this is a fine debut album. Recorded in less than 2 weeks (the band knew what they wanted, and wanted it unpolished and unpretentious), this album is a good mix of tracks that highlights Crop Circle’s versatility and musicianship as well as their songwriting abilities. A few of the tracks are average but more than half of them are not – there is no fluff here, no fillers… and for a debut album that’s no small feat.
Crop Circle is comprised of Ben Darbey (drums), Brian Garbet (guitar), and Sean McCormick (vocals), with Nathan primarily on bass for live shows, and are an alternative rock band based out of Vancouver, BC.
You can find Crop Circle at:
Facebook
Myspace
and CD Baby where you can listen to the tracks prior to buying the album.
