Customer Reviews

Darker Circles

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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!

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."

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.

This is my first Sadies album and certainly will not be my last.

Superb songwriting, outstanding performances. Every song a gem, not a bad moment on the entire album.

Just a quick one. I agree with the positive spin given by my fellow reviewers. I had never heard of these guys (shocking, I now realize) until reading a review in one of the music rags (can't remember which, but it was available in the Barnes and Noble "library"). I started on Amazon, reading the reviews and all. That led me to buy this and two previous CDs ("New Seasons" and "Favorite Colors") recommended by long-time fans. I have to say "Darker Circles" is as good or better than the others, for my money. It's the one that gets left in my car CD player the longest.

The Sadies have that familiar feel to them, like you've heard it somewhere before, but it's okay because you liked that place. The band is loose and comfortable in their skin. No tripping over the "look at me" syndrome. The brothers lead, no question, but they leave plenty of room for Dean and Belitsky, too. The result is a well-balanced record by four guys who clearly enjoy what they do. Darker songs? I guess so, but being more a composer than a lyricist myself, if the music doesn't grab me first, it doesn't matter what the words are saying.

For those like me who encounter the Sadies for the first time via this record, I suggest that you give the back catalog a careful listen before deciding whether to backtrack. If this is your only stop in Sadieville, good choice.

Ken

I love all of the Sadies music. That said, this particular album is noteworthy for the tied together quiltwork of soundscapes and stories that flow through and permeate this entire album. Though the prior Sadies album, New Seasons, is also just as excellent and consistent in its own way (with standouts as well of course, like Anna Leigh and a Simple Aspiration), it is the overall mood that Darker Circles can evoke that is make it an album that can't really be categorized....it certainly isn't Americana in any way that makes sense unless you can somehow call it Gothic Americana/Canadiana. The level of composition and playing by the Dallas and Travis Good just keeps getting better, as well as Mike Belitsky on drums and Sean Dean on bass somehow keeping it up and together.

This is an album that just doesn't seem to ever wear out it's welcome, even though there is an element of sadness in many of the songs. Just listen to the words, as well as the music, in the cut "Tell Her What I Said". It is heartbreakingly beautiful and honest to the point of seeming a little too autobiographical. I've had the CD since May of this year and six months later, this has to be my pick for Best Album Release of 2010.

I am a long time Alt-country listener & player and I somehow stumbled upon the pre-release for Darker Circles. I gave the samples a listen and really liked what I heard, which seems to be happening less and less these days. Considering the album title I dont get a dark feel from the music and enjoy the way the album flows without any clinker/filler songs. The Sadies also cover a lot of unusual sounds for a modern band. Almost straight up country mixed with psychedelic fuzz, rock stirred with various tempos keep things exciting. Darker Circles has been on my iPod since I got it. Now I keep watching to see if they are going to swing by town to catch them live.

I don't know if it is included on all copies, but I did get a "key" with the CD that allowed me to download a sampling of older material from a specific website. I love it when bands reward for not stealing!