STYX CIRCLING FROM ABOVE ALBUM REVIEW

BY: Philip Sayblack

​Summer is almost over and with it, so is Styx’s latest tour run.  The tour, which launched May 28 in Greenville, SC, is scheduled to wind down Aug. 24 in Milwaukee, WI.  The North American run is in support of the band’s latest album, Circling From Above, which the band released physically July 18.  The 13-song record is a work that will engage and entertain the veteran rock act’s established audiences as well as more casual listeners.  This is proven in part through its musical arrangements.  The lyrical themes that accompany said content does its own share to interest listeners, as does the sequencing of that overall content.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album.  All things considered they make Circling From Above a welcome addition to this year’s field of new rock albums.
Circling From Above, the latest album from Styx, is a presentation that will largely appeal to the band’s established audiences.  It will appeal to more casual listeners, too.  That is due in large part to its featured musical arrangements.  The album’s musical arrangements exhibit a blend of familiar older sounds from Styx and more modern style arrangements that are fitting for rock stations whose program directors are actually willing to play singles from established acts.  Yes, that is a commentary about said radio stations and their unwillingness to play said music.  One of the most notable of the more “modern” arrangements comes early in the album’s run in the form of ‘King of Love.’  The steady drum beat, production guitar riff and tuned vocal delivery in the verses conjures thoughts of works from Muse while.  The choruses meanwhile give listeners a touch of throwback sensibility. 
On a somewhat different note, ‘Blue Eyed Raven’ stands out with its flamenco-style guitar line at its foundation.  That, coupled with the mandolin, makes the whole a work that is easily modern in its world music approach.  At the same time, there is something in the vocal delivery and its production that still gives the song its own familiar vintage Styx vibe.  The whole therein is expertly balanced and gives listeners established and otherwise plenty to appreciate in its own way.
‘Michigan,’ the album’s third entry, is another example of how the band has managed to balance its vintage sound with something more familiar.  The fuzz of the guitars, paired with the vocals and rest of the arrangement makes the whole comparable to works from the likes of Spock’s Beard, believe it or not.  When this song and the others examined here are considered with the rest of the album’s entries, many of which in the second half are far more familiar, stylistically, the whole therein makes the musical body of Circling From Above a strong starting point for the album.
Moving to the album’s lyrical themes, one thing that is easy to grasp is that so much of the album’s lyrical content centers on relationships and women.  Case in point are songs, such as ‘King of Love,’ ‘She Knows,’ and ‘Forgive.’  There are songs that stray from that all too familiar norm, though, not the least of which being the album’s lead single, ‘Build and Destroy.’  Front man Tommy Shaw said in an interview, the song centers lyrically on the waste that orbits the earth, noting how so many satellites have been sent into orbit and then “tossed aside.”  He likened it to our own relationships, so even therein is a relationship allegory, making for more familiarity for audiences.  ‘It’s Clear’ is another song that seems, lyrically, to break from the all too familiar themes of romance and relationships here.  In this case, the theme comes across as being a social commentary of sorts.  The same applies to ‘Everybody Raise a Glass,’ which comes across as sending a reminder about unity and trying to remain optimistic even amid the negative.  ‘We Lost The Wheel Again’ and ‘Only You Can Decide,’ the album’s penultimate entry and its finale, are even more of that content that strays, thankfully, from the other noted content.  Simply put, the band offers a certain amount of familiarity, lyrically speaking in the content centered on romance and relationships while also presenting content that is deeper and more resonant.  To that end, the overall lyrical content featured in this record does just as much to make it engaging and entertaining as its musical arrangements.  All things considered, they make for plenty for audiences to take in.
Knowing how much the record’s overall content has to offer audiences, there is one more item to note here.  That item is the sequencing of said content.  As noted there is plenty of familiarity in the record both musically and lyrically, as well as other content.  From the record’s beginning to its end, that content is changed up just enough to keep things interesting.  On the matter of the musical arrangements, it seems that most of the more “modern” sounding content makes up the record’s first half while the second half boasts more of the band’s older, more familiar sound and style.  Lyrically speaking, the album changes things up just enough, too.  While there is, again, a certain amount of lyrical content centered on the all too familiar topics of romance and relationships, the album does not make listeners sit through that material for too long.  Rather, it mixes that material in alongside the more thoughtful material, ensuring listeners’ engagement and entertainment all the more.  The end result of the clearly well-thought-out sequencing is a listening experience that is sure to keep most listeners engaged and entertained.  When the positive impact of the sequencing is considered alongside that of the album’s content, the whole therein leaves Circling From Above one more welcome addition to this year’s field of new rock albums.
Circling From Above, the latest album from Styx, is a record that will appeal easily to a wide range of audiences.  This is proven in part through its featured musical arrangements.  The arrangements are of note because of their blend of familiar older styles and sounds and more “modern” works.  The lyrical themes do just as much to appeal to listeners.  That is because of the blend of the all too familiar romance and relationship topics and the more welcome social commentaries.  The sequencing of said content puts the finishing touch to the whole, keeping things interesting for audiences.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album.  All things considered, they make Circling From Above one more welcome addition to this year’s field of new rock albums.
Circling From Above is available now.  More information on the album is available along with all of Styx’s latest news at:
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