Customer Reviews

Signal Morning

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I can't believe there's no reviews of this album. I've been waiting almost a decade. It's as good as the first, maybe better. A lot clearer. More rock n roll. As others have said, it's like a burst of fresh oxygen, or sunshine. There are really no words to describe how awesome this album is, honestly. The first Circulatory System album blew my mind and this one may have saved my life. Will is a genius and I can't wait for the next one.

Sorry I didn't write more, I'm not a really a record reviewer. But this album is too good to have zero reviews. Buy it and enjoy.

Synaesthesia is an ambitious goal to set for your listener, but when you listen to Signal Morning you can't help but see color. I see parades and I'm laughing and I don't want to be anywhere else. But this isn't some world of pure joy devoid of worry. There is depth, there are dynamics, and there are fears and evil lurking, so that there is growth. The overblown (but never overwhelming) fuzz is the most distinct feature that initially grabs you. It almost fuses each track together by drowning out the silences that would otherwise separate things. Within the psychedelic mountain of Signal Morning, one could feasibly carve out well- constructed pop songs. In fact, I can't really fathom how these guys go about fleshing out tracks, although I don't doubt that they have a blast doing so. What is more certain is the amount of LSD consumption that is undeniably happening during the process. Lines such as, "Do the smallest of microbes hear the tiny concerts" sort of celebrate the fact. Signal Morning definitely has a few more twists and lulls than one would desire, but nonetheless remains a highly entertaining ride.

I waited to write a review because it took me at least 5 listens before I started to like it. It is very much like Olivia Tremor Control type music rather than Circ. Syst's self-titled album because their aren't as many "songs" on the album, but instead crazy songs/noises/crashes/splits/cuts and anything else to freak you out, but after many listens, like with Olivia Tremor Control's "Black Foliage," it doesn't sound insane at all...it sounds beautiful. Listening to this album I personally can't help but get a sense that the tracks are more than just music, but symbolic of the current state of our society. Piece by piece, it sounds as though William is destroying the walls of reality and the constraints of society and an oppressive world government while still reminding us of what is important, and that is happiness and fun. The self-titled album, in many ways, is better, because there is more nonsubtle melody, which really lifts you up and makes you feel high. To this day, I still think of that album as the 2nd best album I have ever heard, but there is something very special about Signal Morning. I don't like to rank my favorite albums anymore, because that seems silly...we change from day to day, so I think this album is equally good to the first one; it is only different because it is supposed to represent 2009 and beyond, not 2001 and before. This future is going to be amazing and hopefully this album is the signal in the morning that sparks people to start treating each other how we deserve to be treated instead of letting outside forces interfere with our realities. Thank you William Cullen Hart once again for making an album just when I needed it. The past three years have been hell and I've just started recovering. This album makes my recovery that much easier.

For me, most of the standout tracks on the old Olivia Tremor Control albums have been the Will Cullen Hart ones ( Holiday Surprise, Green Typewriters, Grass Cannons,Paranormal Echoes etc ). They had that more oblique form of melody and structure than Bill Doss' more orthodox pop stylings. What a great juxtaposition this was that consequently added to the OTC dynamic. That along with the bursts of noise collage and looping theme variations that could suddenly morph into a 3 minute pop gem before diving back into another wave of psych adventure.
Signal Morning has revived that reverie. A lot of the tracks here have a slightly harder edge than the eponymous album,and for mine this form of psych just doesn't get any better . The core at times is coming straight out of the garage but with it are waves and layers of sonic complexity. The bass and guitars are fuzzed , flanged and tremoloed whilst the drums sit compartmentalised and snarey. The vocals are back in the the mix but sound great. The tape manipulation is back in force and used to great effect - on par with that found on Black Foliage. The lyrics continue to explore themes of majesty of the universe and our relationship with it. There is the wonder of the miniscule,tiny and strange quantum world stretching through to the vast scales of the outer galaxies that contain the suns that seed the universe with the matter that is a part of us all. And within this sits time - enigmatic - warping and circular.
This is important,vital music made by artists of integrity who appreciate the tiny detail and the big picture.
Thanks Will, you've left me overjoyed...

How to describe an album that transcends description?
Simply put: if you find yourself bored at any second during this album, you simply aren't listening closely enough! This is not formulaic pop, this is not anything you can expect before hearing it. You just have to listen to the album and treat every moment only as what it is. Do not attempt to compare it to other music. It's just a genre unto itself!!

The number of different themes, melodies, rhythms, and vibes contained in these 70 minutes is beyond astonishing. And give the album a three good listens before drawing any conclusions about it!

As with all truly great music, Signal Morning is not a work you will fully understand the first time you hear it, as it pushes the boundaries of what one believes music can be (especially among modern musicians).


The bottom line: Circulatory System has created sounds that have never been created before, sounds which can take you to places you never knew existed, if only you will let them!

And after innumerable listens, this album still just gets BETTER every time you here it!
If any one album of our times deserves 5-stars, this is the one. Buy it, hear it, experience it, love it~

I am a full-on convert to the Will Hart Church of Psychotropic Musick. I have tremendous admiration and respect for the art he creates musically, lyrically, and visually, including this record. I love his worldview and vision. But I have to confess to being a little let down in this instance. Yes, it's a bit more muscular and "straightforward" than the first record, or Black Foliage, but it's also less memorable to me. Perhaps I've taken too many journeys with the previous records, but I'm not hearing anything I haven't heard on previous outings. In fact, it seems almost tentative where the others seemed fearless. Multiple listens have not revealed any new depths but rather fatigued me a bit, as the sound effects don't seem to have changed much.

That said, it's still a Circulatory System record. I'm glad it is here. It's still a beauteous statement about the miracle and wonder of existence. It's still a singular work of art from a singular mind working with a talented group of artists. But musically, its not much of a step forward. It feels like running in place.