Circus Mind is the sound of jazz going on an adventure. Well, not just jazz, charismatic jazz that has persuaded impressionable formative rock ‘n’ roll, easily led funk and restless New Orleans vibes, and certainly, in the case of this latest single, “Barstool Hero” wide-eyed reggae grooves, to come with them to sate its sonic wanderlust.
“Barstool Hero” has got it all, or at least what it hasn’t got isn’t worth worrying about. Soulful ska guitar licks and a reggae bass lines create the…well, base line…and on top of this they add all manner of scintillating sounds – honky tonk piano, the rise and fall of devastating and delicious organ, big swathes of vocals, rousing rock guitar breaks, strange interludes and…well, I stopped counting at that point. There is a lot going on, that’s for sure.
And it is to Circus Mind’s credit that rather than it all being a bit too much, overwhelming and full on, this instrumentation is knitted together in such a way that everything gets its day in the sun, nothing feels like it is stepping on each other’s toes, instead dancing deftly in a well-coordinated and contagious, if complex, chorus line.
I love the fact that Mark Rechler describes the song’s creation as almost supernatural, “I honestly think I was in a trance when I wrote this one,” he says “I was sort of there but not really. A friend had just passed away, and I guess there was something dark brewing inside me. When it was done, I didn’t even know what had happened or what it meant—but I knew it felt special.” Things, especially songs, can have meaning but not be easily explained. not everything needs to make sense. One and one can sometimes add up to two point seven three recurring, and after all, what would the world be without a bit of mystery?
What a great song and perhaps the answer to the question What do you give the person who has everything? This! You give them this. This has everything and a whole lot more besides. That’ll keep them happy.
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