Circles Around the Sun Return From the Darkness With the Celebratory 'Language'
The best damn psychedelic supergroup could have called it quits. Instead, they're back with John Lee Shannon on guitar, and the result is refreshing.
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It’s rarely a successful experiment when a band forges on after losing its leader, and it’s even rarer air when the next version of the group may be even better than what came before. Still, psychedelic jammers Circles Around the Sun may have done just that with their new record, Language.
Founded by Neal Casal in 2015, Circles Around the Sun (CATS) began as a project writing music for the intermissions during the Grateful Dead fiftieth-anniversary shows. With Casal on guitar, Dan Horne on bass, Adam MacDougall on keys, and Mark Levy handling the drums, the sessions would form CATS’s debut album, Interludes for the Dead.1 Moving beyond the project’s original intent, CATS quickly became a must-see touring act while releasing a follow-up record, Let It Wander, that still carried the Dead’s spirit through original songs.
After finishing his parts for their upcoming self-titled third album, Casal tragically passed in 2019. Left behind was a note from Casal to the band to finish and release the record, which would go on to be the best version of CATS yet, as well as my favorite album of 2020. Luckily for us, these cats didn’t call it quits, and after a brief runs with Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce) and Scott Metzger (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Wolf!), the brilliant John Lee Shannon is now officially the guitarist for the band.
Since Shannon joined CATS, it’s been a mystery how the next iteration of the group would sound. They’ve spent the past few years with Shannon still playing through Casal’s catalog, and when Language was announced in November, lead single “Outer Boroughs” sounded like it could comfortably fit on the self-titled record. With MacDougall’s keyboard wizardry front and center, the song gives way to a blistering solo by Shannon that shows off his collaboration background with Casal while introducing his own unique tones and ideas. It’s the perfect bridge between eras.
It’s best to think of this six-track outing by its vinyl sequencing, with the first half building upon some atmospheric textures that visit a far proggier planet than previously heard from CATS. As “Third Sunrise Over Gliese 667” rises to open the record, it’s impossible not to compare Shannon and MacDougall’s fresh comradery to the interplay of David Gilmour and Richard Wright on Pink Floyd’s masterclass on psychedelic prog, “Echoes.”2 Combined with Horne’s signature fretboard strut and Levy’s drum groove, the song is delightfully heady while being positively danceable.
“The Singularity” gradually cruises through a kaleidoscopic wormhole for the most ambient song in the CATS catalog - synth loops, droid chirps, and a steady electronic pulse guide the tune. At the same time, a healthy dose of fading distorted feedback fills out the atmosphere before giving way to “Outer Boroughs.”
As flawless as the first half is, Language’s b-side truly defines this early new era. CATS has always explored a slightly greasy disco sound, think late-70s Dead, but topping it with prog-rock flourishes takes things to the next level. “Away Team” kicks off the second half of the set with Shannon’s delayed riff instantly hooking you while Horne fills in the gaps with certified funky basslines. Levy’s drumming is confidently turned up a few notches on this record, and on “Away Team,” he plays with disco’s four-to-the-floor formula, adding skittering hi-hats and a bongo-filled breakdown that makes this song the star of the album.
The aptly-named “Wobble” keeps the good times going with its borderline yacht rock refrain and Shannon and MacDougall coming together once again with some flashy give-and-take exercises, while Horne and Levy’s rhythm section throws in everything but the kitchen sink. Language’s title track signs off the album in “Shakedown Street” fashion as harpist Mikaela Davis weaves heavenly swirls to the dance hall stomper - it was also released as a single, but this distinct new album mix breathes fresh life into an already fantastic song. Not only is Davis’s harp more prominently featured, but Shannon’s guitars have more presence, as does all of the auxiliary progression for the definitive version of the tune.
Neal Casal’s passing could have easily ended the band. Instead, not only does John Lee Shannon honor the group’s founder’s spirit throughout, but he also adds his unique stamp to Language for a phenomenal payoff. As a Circles Around the Sun fan since the beginning, it’s a sweet relief to hear these guys come out on the other side of the darkness for a genuinely celebratory record. There are so many unique ideas on Language that we haven’t heard before, and Horne, MacDougall, and Levy all sound like they’re having a damn good time again.
Language will surely get you moving whether you’ve followed the band for the past eight years or this is your first encounter with their trademark brand of groovy space funk. The current algorithm-driven music climate has us endlessly discussing which indie-pop star is guesting on which band’s latest track or trudging through efforts from overly advertised supergroups, and it’s refreshing to return to the no-fuss instrumental experimentation found on exceptional albums like Language.
Get on one of the best albums of the year now - cos when you do, it’s guaranteed to be a CATS kinda summer.
Language is available now on Megaforce Records.
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Fans of Interludes for the Dead should not miss out on listening to the complete sessions. You can listen to all twenty-two songs on Bandcamp.
I had to link to this piece in my latest newsletter, thanks again, Circles Around the Sun has been my soundtrack the last week!
Once again I am reading at a soccer field this while listening to another hot box-worthy jam. “Away Team” is one heckuva trip to space. Stoked to check the rest of the record out!