Search - Circulus :: Lick on the Tip of An Envelope

Bring on the Medieval Folk-Rock!

A. Fletcher | Oklahoma City, OK United States | 08/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just have finished giving a first listen the the Circulus album "The Lick on the Tip of an Envelope Yet to Be Sent", and all I can say is brilliant.



The songs generally consist of straight ahead folkish-rock, with the terrific addition of medieval/renaissance instruments (including recorder, crumhorn and rauschpfife[another capped-reed wind]). The lyrics are simultaneously amusing and insightful, and the vocals match to a tee.



There are nine songs on the album, two of which are instrumentals, and one is a showcase for Jade member Marianne Segal, which may be the most radio friendly piece on the album. The first instrumental, 'Orpheus' is a nice traditional renaissance-type dance number with just enough drums and synthesixer to make it modern, and the other instrumental, 'The Aphid', is an atmospheric piece that reminds me of North American Native American flute music, and in fact this song reminds of some of Ozric Tentacles' more atmospheric pieces.



This album recollects United States of America, Pearls Before Swine, and in recording technique, the American 60's band Clear Light. If The Incredible String Band were to have formed in the 21st Century, they may have sounded very much like Circulus.



If you are expecting a Gryphon type-band, this album is not it, but if you like folk-rolk and aren't afraid of the renaissance additions, I highly recommend this album."

Circulus for a big smile!

J. R. P. Wigman | Netherlands | 09/19/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As a folk(rock) fan I was well pleased with "Lick on the tip of an envelope" being recommended to me. At one look at the cover, the photographs & the (psychedelic) artwork I smiled & knew I was into something good.

All lyrics are accompanied by appropriate artwork, and the photos are ensemble pictures which point unashamedly to hippies, old celtic rituals & (judging from what the participants are wearing) days long gone by. Oddly enough no one is smiling! (or is there a hidden meaning?)

The music didn't disappoint me either: well-played folkrock infused with psychedelic & modern sounds, starting off well with the traditional "Miri it is". Almost all following songs are quite strong with rather new-agey but sometimes quite funny lyrics. It's not really clear how serious we should take their lyrics (Power to the Pixies....?!), but this uncertainty does add to the overall charm. Included as well is a song by Marianne Segal of legendary folkrock group Jade.

Listening to and looking at the cd I cannot help comparing Circulus with the legendary bands Dr. Strangely Strange and Gong. Although Circulus will not make me forget either of those bands, their "Lick ..." is well appreciated, with the eager expectation of what may be.

"

"What the mushroom said to me": representative lyric

John L Murphy | Los Angeles | 12/01/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is perfectly fine, if you like Steeleye Span's electric phase with the heavy(-handed) Bob Johnston guitar atop studio arrangements that gloss folk-rock up in polished layers of male-female vocals, lyrics about burning scarecrows, and a more contemporary touch that for our decade means putting "bitch" into the lyric. It does start winningly, with what sounds like Johnny Rotten vocals, but most of the album in its sound is more "traditionally" electrified 70s-era British folk rock. This is not bad by any means, but if you put this on in a shuffle with the "real" imitation thing, you might not tell the difference. This is both this album's strength and limitation.



Hints of mannered prog surface in the keyboards and the instrumentals, notably also in track 9, which opens up their song to nod towards what the Harvest label might have produced thirty years ago, mixing pastoralia with more of a punchy synthesized songcraft. This is a direction in which Circulus would be wise to explore, as a Hawkwind-meets-Steeleye blend is one of the few that have not yet been revived by the neo-hippie generation."