via chunkisinglesjan2012 – MUDKISS FANZINE.

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via Singles round-up featuring Steel Panther, The Minutes, The Lights, Circus Envy, Foxx On Fire and more Singles Review by Paul Pledger.

The album, ‘Secrets’ by Circus Envy is a softly rolling and positive effort from the alternative folk five piece from East Yorkshire. Taking their name from an REM track, it seems poignant to review a band that takes strong influences from the group that have recently disbanded. Although the album is generally folk influenced and shines with acoustic and minimalist roots, there are clear REM harmonies thrown into the mix through, evidently through the track, ‘Regret’. Lyrically and melodically the album really shines throughout the middle of the album and it’s clear that they’ve taken influence from more classic artists from previous eras. Although lead singer shows promise of strong yet soft vocals, he rarely varies from the same sound and the album can become monotonous just over half way in. Most promisingly, Secrets shows maturity and yet again shows talent storming from the North. I truly believe that emotion is everything in music, no matter what that may be. As far as the country is concerned, the North is rising. Circus Envy are a band that seems to be relishing in success from this effort and have absolutely everything to be proud about. This mix of influences hit the album with a sense of originality. Well worth a listen for fans of acoustic folk

via threealbumsoct – MUDKISS FANZINE.

Hull-bred folk outfit Circus Envy’s new single Say Something is a double-faced affair. A-side Say Something is catchy as hell, all dolled up in strings and snares, as if threatening to conquer the universe with its fiery, even flamenco-ish guitar visions. It shows the band’s inspirations quite clearly: they take Marcus Mumford, tone down the self-indulgence and add some much needed straightforwardness. “You can’t come in, you can’t come in” is the firm refrain facing the listener, like doors shutting on its nose.

via Circus, Envy – Say Something | AAAmusic.

 Die hard folkies won’t find the modern innovations to be too much for them, and the kiddywinks will be lulled into a false sense of security, with the up to date arrangements and surfeit of ballads. Incidentally, what is it today with bairns and ballads? When I were a lad, it was Motorhead or be damned. But nowadays, all you see are nearly menfolk sobbing into their teenage hankies. A strange world.

Back on the album, they’ll love the revisit to ‘A New Dawn’, but for me it’s the more chipper ‘Last Cigarette’ and the fiddle drenched ‘Three Score And Ten’ that came up trumps, fully allying the new and the old. The harmonies are excellent, the production is warm and welcoming, and if they’d managed a couple more uptemp tunes, I’d be drolling into my whiskers, instead of merely nodding approval.

Full review at: CIRCUS ENVY – Secrets.

Follow the link to hear an interview with Circus Envy on Canalside Community Radio.

Unfortunately for them, it’s so good it overshadows even something as strong as the choppy folk pop of Snakes And Ladders with its catchy chorus and the fiery fiddle driven Say Something while weaker numbers such as strings drenched ballad A New Dawn, flamenco hurried Last Cigarette and Betty Watson, a run of the mill trad styled tale of a fallen woman suicide, are thrown into starker relief that might otherwise be the case.

There’s a slight problem too in that, while Hirst has a pleasant voice, he rarely flexes it beyond the soft comfort zone, so that whatever the instruments may be doing, many of the songs tend to sound a little samey.

There are a couple of other high points though. Combining lyrics from different versions and tweaking the tune, the rousing Three Score And Ten is a traditional number based on the poem of the same name detailing the 1889 storm that took the lives of some 60 to 70 Grimsby fishermen while, sticking with local history, The Burning Sky recalls the bombing of Hull in 1945.

It’s a listenable enough set, but next time they’ll either have to up their consistency or remember not to put their best track at the start.

via NetRhythms: Current Album, DVD and Book reviews.