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After steady musical strides forward with the consecutive releases of Welcome to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Worship Circus and A Beautiful Glow, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Worship Circus has emerged from a hyperspace jump with the release of their latest recording, The Listening EP. This collection of six tracks is the first offering from the new line-up, featuring founding members Gabriel Wilson (vocals/guitar) and Solo Greely (guitar/vocals), Josiah Sherman (keysman/vocals), and Eric “The E” Lemiere(drums/vocals/guitars).

The EP begins with “Are We Listening,” a one-minute mix of layered effects and garbled sonic nonsense, which forces the listener to strain to hear just what’s being said. Direct, powerful lyrics from Wilson later carry through with this theme. Whereas previous RRWC material has been aimed directly heavenward, The Listening switches the current flow ­ from the top down ­ with songs relaying words from God to his people.

“Have you climbed to the top of the mountain yet? / You walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death / It’s the sound of the man taking a breath / The feeling of the devil beating on your chest / Will you lift up your head / Look for a sign / Hope in the hope that won’t leave you in time?” Wilson asks in “Untitled,” a pounding, keys-driven rocker. Sherman rocks sincerely throughout this disc, and the sounds he creates are mesmerizing!

The rebirthed Circus capitalizes on the strengths of Pink Floyd (“I Love The Rain”), The Beatles (“Like I Do”), and The Cure (“Untitled”), mixing soaring guitars, mysteriously tasty electronic seasonings, big drums, and gigantic musical builds to construct a solid bridge between classic and modern rock. With this new batch of songs, the Circus also ushers in some darker elements that make bands like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Radiohead, and The Violet Burning so intriguing (see “Dead Man” from the EP).

The standout track is “The Way That Love Is Made.” Glorious, baby! The lead guitar line is catchy beyond belief (just one example of Greely’s truly fantastic guitar work on this record), and Sherman’s keys are shimmering on the high end and deliciously fat on the low end. The frequent change-up in tempo swings the song into a realm of its own.

The Listening EP really shines with the gleam of Glitter Twins production by Wilson and Greely. Everything these two touch SOUNDS amazing. The overall audio quality is unlike anything out there ­ crisp, defined and bright. The Glitter Twins are able to put the listener INSIDE the instruments in a dreamy world where all the right effects are applied to beef up the sound so it’s better than sitting in the same room while it’s played. Studio perfection.

this EP really demonstrates the incredible strength the Worship Circus has found with its current line-up. The band’s previous efforts are outstanding, but there is something about these new songs that really shows a four-legged balance that is solid, solid, solid.

Greg Adams  10/4/2004
 

We are guided into this listening experience by "Are We Listening?"--a gentle keyboard wash, backward-looped tapes that grab our attention. Just as we wonder what's happening here, the stop-start drum beat of "untitled" kicks in. A snare count-off and a wonderful harmony guitar riff sweeps to questioning lyrics finding us "hidden in the Savior's sight." It's been said that these Northwesterners carry the spirit of Pink Floyd. We can add King Crimson to that after hearing this one.

A soothing wind carries us into "I Love the Rain," with (Beach Boys) Dennis Wilson-like plaintive vocals, such a delicious, slow building love song to the Father. Here's where the Pink Floyd thing fits like a glove: think "Us and Them." "Like I Do," a late period Beatles soundalike musically--is that George Harrison?--gives us a  slice of life through God's eyes. a near-perfect pop song.

As amazing as it seems, we could say the every same thing for "The Way That Love Is Made," with hints of Badfinger, ELO, and Willburys. The heavy truth is that love begets love lyrically. Musically, the final track, "Dead Man," contains all the above. Lyrically it reminds the listener over and over that "He who calls upon His name shall be saved." You will notice that I didn't say the closing track. "Dead Man" ends like the EP begins--it is a loop!

The Listening is a compassionately constructed EP intensely delivered in an heart-on-their-sleeve/salvation-in-mind manner. Although the Rock and Roll Worship Circus draws musically from the past, the sound is fresh and alive. Powerful!

Bob Felberg