Circa Zero – Circus Hero
429 Records
http://www.429records.com/sites/429records/429details/d_circazero.asp

Rating: A

Andy Summers is most famous as the guitarist of The Police, and rightly so.  The Police are one of the most iconic bands of all time, and perhaps the greatest pop rock band of their generation.  Summers guitar playing on songs like “Roxanne,” and “Every Breath You Take” are not only iconic, they are bold, fresh, unique and inspirational. 

Imagine the surprise the rock world felt when it was learned that the 71 year old Summers was teaming up with a virtually unknown multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from a band that never made it.  That guy is Rob Giles and he can sing…and play…and compose.  And he does it well with Andy, a guy who has never shied away from a musical challenge. 

Circa Zero is a bona fide band…not just a one-off.  Summers and Giles are making pop music that is original, inspiring, fresh and, most important, damn good.  Just listen to the opening of “Levitation.”  This tune alone shows that this band is for real.  The song should be a huge hit, but the music industry may be too stupid to realize that they have genius on their hands and know what to do with it.  “Underground” is another great track while “Night Time Travelers” is simply an emotional audio ride that even has a huge “Layla-Like” ending. 

When Andy Summers gets fired up, there is no stopping his creative forces.  When you add to the mix a young, passionate and talented muse like Giles, who is not afraid to challenge the master, then you have music made for music’s sake worth listening to again and again.  

Circus Hero is a collection of delightful tunes.  The U2 meets The Police moments are there, but don’t be fooled, they are not there to simply be commercial and make this album viable in today’s marketplace.  Nope, instead of worrying about record sales the band choose to put every note, every sound and every lyric in the song to serve the song, pushing the boundaries of creativity, whether or not they nod to the past, or project into the future.

Circa Zero is a band that defies categorization.  They defy the boundaries of age and wisdom, the old guard not being replaced by the new, but rather mentoring him with open, ego-less journeys into the vast universe of creativity. 

This is one of the best albums released this year.  Don’t miss it just because radio has their head up their ass.  Andy Summers is one of the most unique guitarists alive today and he is playing as bold and strong as at anytime in his career. 

Circa Zero has not only made something from nothing, they have made something very special. 

Tracks:
Levitation
Underground
The Story Ends Here
Say Goodnight
Gamma Ray
Night Time Travelers
Shoot Out The Stars
Underwater
Summer Lies
No Highway
Light The Fuse & Run
Whenever You Hear The Rain
Hot Camel

By Jeb Wright