Circus of the West - We'll See Ourselves Out

Circus of the West

We'll See Ourselves Out
self-released; 2017

​3.7 out of 5

By Dan Weston

I didn’t know iTunes had a genre specifically called adult alternative. Well, in case you’re wondering adult alternative sounds exactly like rock to my ears. I was listening to We’ll See Ourselves Out by Circus of the West that plays pretty straightforward rock that dabbles in multi-generational influence. 

Edwin Caldie (vocals/keys), Joel Leviton (guitar), Ben Court (guitar) Jason Kapel (bass/keys) and Alan Einisman (drums) are the players in the band. Out is a solid album. The recording quality is great, the songwriting is solid and the delivery is on point.

​On that note the song goes straight down the center of familiarity. The band unapologetically embraces tropes that we have heard in one way or another a million times before. Don't let that sway you from enjoying the music. Hell, how often do you hear a band that has something new to offer these days?

They open with “Birdhand” which jumps out of the gate with bright Americana energy. Kudos to the bass player for the syncopated timing which makes the song bounce. The end of the song might be one of the most inspired moments on the album.

Up next is “Some Connections” which was a straightforward rocker while “Boxes” has  a ’90s alternative vibe not far at all from a band like Fountains of Wayne. The band goes for a bit of a ballad on “Nothing Special” and “Resurrection” felt like blues rock 101 with organ until about the four-minute mark where the band goes into an unexpected waltz. Good stuff. As the album progresses I enjoyed the song  “Asma.” I thought it was a highlight because of the pacing.

Circus of the West isn't the most inventive band in 2017 but they put out a batch of songs that were easy to appreciate. Definitely good backyard BBQ type stuff. Recommended.

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