Wiki
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Release Date
1 August 2001
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Length
22 tracks
Circulatory System's self-titled debut was released in August of 2001 by Cloud Recordings. The group, comprised of Elephant 6 members and fronted by Olivia Tremor Control's William Cullen Hart, presents a psychedelic pop sound typical of other Elephant 6-related bands. Neutral Milk Hotel's enigmatic Jeff Mangum guests as well (see: "Forever").
As a whole, this record has an obviously unified aesthetic. The album is permeated through with sheets of reverb, giving the album a consistent glow and making it sound somewhat vintage in some cases. This tone underpins the otherworldly songwriting and atypical arrangements that show here. Different instruments, too numerous to individuate, pop up all over the album, creating an odd soundscape that even seems to match the record's artwork in a way. Tracks bleed into one another like a seamless whole, guided by a lyrical narrative about floating/flying, seeing the world in different perspectives, and existential queries. Recurring musical themes about with lyrical passages about "rising above buildings," "rising above your chemistry (your self, so to speak)," "what about truth," the role of "symbols" and lots of references to time / eternity.
As such, it's not really recommended to take this album piecemeal looking for singles. There are certainly some standout tracks, but the record works much better from beginning to end.
There was a mixed critical reaction to the record; some praised it's inventive and sophisticated pop structures, while some thought it was too dense or unmemorable. Nonetheless, it is definitely an unfortunately overlooked record (Neutral Milk Hotel's "In The Aeroplane over The Sea" seems like the albatross that covers this record in a shadow) that should be in any fan of NMH, Elephant 6, or Olivia Tremor Control's discography.
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