Darker Circles

The Sadies | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 18, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Yep Roc Records
• ASIN: B003BKZYCU
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,981 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Darker Circles is the follow-up to The Sadies' acclaimed last album New Seasons and sees guitarist brothers Dallas and Travis Good, drummer Mike Belitsky and bassist Sean Dean again pair with legendary Jayhawk and sought-after producer Gary Louris.

Furthering the focused songwriting and recording aspirations reached on New Seasons, The Sadies bring their signature blend of country, psychedelic, rock and surf into rifle-scope focus on Darker Circles, further underscoring their reputations as musicians' musicians.

Always at the top of the list when discussing musical chops and live intensity, The Sadies are now more intent than ever on making their mark as songwriters. In one turn as heavy as a sledge, and on the other flitting across melodies with the ease of so many sparrows, The Sadies prove once again that denying them now is simply prolonging your conversion.

So go on, pull up that screeching wooden chair that bows with your weight. Slide it up next to the turntable and drop the needle, The Sadies are a sure thing...tomorrow isn't.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Sadies Return To Form, June 15, 2010

By 

The Delite Rancher (Phoenix, Arizona) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Darker Circles (Audio CD)

After doing "Country Club" with John Doe, "Darker Circles" is a return to what we've come to expect from the Sadies. This release comfortably sits aside the rest of the band's Americana infused Psychedelic Rock. It has everything you'd expect from Spaghetti Western instrumentals to the strange Americana ballads that only Canadians could pull-off. The lyrics are beautifully dark. Then there's that glorious mind-melting guitar work by Dallas and Travis Good. It's hard to imagine anybody doing a better job of balancing the energy of Rock with the heart-felt sensibility of roots music. 'Another Day Again' rocks hard while 'Violet and Jeffrey Lee' has vocals that bring to mind the Byrds. 'Postcards' is filled with twang and velvety vocal harmonies. As a song writing highlight, 'Cut Corners' features that dreamy surf guitar work. On the other hand, 'Idle Tomorrows' is a song with an alt-county esthetic. As if off "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," 'Choosing To Fly' has an old-timey sentiment. The only instrumental on this album is the closer, 'Ten More Songs.' If there's a critique of this album, it's that there's nothing new here. No complaints as more of the same is more Sadies glory. Comparatively, this effort isn't quite as strong as "New Seasons" or "Favourite Colours." Still a fantastic release, it's on the tier of albums like "Stories Often Told" and "Tremendous Efforts." See them live and listen to "Darker Circles" and celebrate one of today's most exciting bands!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Melancholia, June 14, 2010

By 

Randy "Randy" (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Darker Circles (Audio CD)

This is a beautiful album, with haunting melodies and the gorgeous twin guitars of Dallas and Travis Good. It is also pretty depressing; if you only listen to the lyrics, it will certainly bring you down. Thankfully, the music is driving and energetic, and the harmonies are uplifting enough to keep you from spiralling down into depression. Like John Fogerty or Jay Farrar(Son Volt), The Sadies are masters of making sadness beautiful.

Highlights: "Another Year Again," "Choosing To Fly" and "Ten More Songs."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Sadies - Take you to the darker side of life, August 8, 2010

By 

Red on Black (Cardiff) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Darker Circles (Audio CD)

The Sadies are guitarist brothers Dallas and Travis Good, drummer Mike Belitsky and bassist Sean Dean. This Toronto based set of roving roots-rockers have a reputation as one of the best live acts who regularly cross the bridge at Buffalo into the States to undertake huge tours (Check out their double live album recorded at Lee's Palace). They have played with many other muso's not least the great chanteuse Neko Case and a range of other Canadian bands and for Darker Circles drafted in Gary Louris from alt country godfathers "The Jayhawks" to produce this wonderful slice of alt country melancholia.

Darker circles is a fitting title for this album since despite the sheer rush of one of the fine opener "Another year again" which reminds me of the old Southern rock band "The Outlaws", this album heads towards metaphorical winter snow rather than the deckchairs on a summer beach. "Another year again breaks" off with a minute left into a rip roaring guitar workout which will see concert halls bounce under the strain. Indeed their is nothing wrong with a more reflective album with "Postcards" sounding like someone in the band has been to seance and managed to contact the ghost of Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito's.

In between these songs are other highlights. The feedback laden instrumental "Ten more songs" is very atmospheric while the stunning "Choosing to fly" is all rustic banjos and fiddles and taps into deep American traditions of music. "Idle tommorrows" reminds me of American Beauty era Grateful Dead and should be sought out as a starting point for this album while Buffalo Springfield would have been proud to produce the dark and rolling "The quiet one" with echoes of 60s psychedelica.

While the "lads" might be advised to try and invest a bit more energy into the pictures on their album covers I suppose it does convey some of the mood of this album. That said Darker Circles is by no means maudlin or depressing it is very fine album by a band who deserve some real recognition.